What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Airman returned from aerial application to Private landing strip to refuel. Landing strip is a one-way strip due to slope. Prevailing wind necessitated a downwind landing, with a quartering tailwind. Airman estimated that the wind at the time was gusting up to 15 knots. Upon landing aircraft began to drift left, and the pilot initiated right rudder input to arrest the drift, to no avail. Aircraft departed the runway, with left main striking a row of rocks piled approximately 3 feet high, resulting in the accident (aircraft came to rest upside down). A contributing factor to this accident is the row of piled rocks adjacent to the runway. Were it not for that the resulting damage may likely have been substantially less, resulting only in an incident. Another contributing factor is that the privately owned airstrip (owned by the airman) did not have a functioning windsock at the time of the accident.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AIRMAN RETURNED FROM AERIAL APPLICATION TO PRIVATE LANDING STRIP TO REFUEL. LANDING STRIP IS A ONE-WAY STRIP DUE TO SLOPE. PREVAILING WIND NECESSITATED A DOWNWIND LANDING, WITH A QUARTERING TAILWIND. AIRMAN ESTIMATED THAT THE WIND AT THE TIME WAS GUSTING UP TO 15 KNOTS. UPON LANDING AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO DRIFT LEFT, AND THE PILOT INITIATED RIGHT RUDDER INPUT TO ARREST THE DRIFT, TO NO AVAIL. AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE RUNWAY, WITH LEFT MAIN STRIKING A ROW OF ROCKS PILED APPROXIMATELY 3 FEET HIGH, RESULTING IN THE ACCIDENT (AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST UPSIDE DOWN). A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THIS ACCIDENT IS THE ROW OF PILED ROCKS ADJACENT TO THE RUNWAY. WERE IT NOT FOR THAT THE RESULTING DAMAGE MAY LIKELY HAVE BEEN SUBSTANTIALLY LESS, RESULTING ONLY IN AN INCIDENT. ANOTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IS THAT THE PRIVATELY OWNED AIRSTRIP (OWNED BY THE AIRMAN) DID NOT HAVE A FUNCTIONING WINDSOCK AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N8420V · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.