What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On April 7, 2015, at approximately 15:05 central standard time (CST) a call was received indicating that aircraft registration number N1197G; an American general aircraft corp. model AG5B experienced an accident at Laporte Municipal Airport (T41), Laporte, Texas. A chief flight instructor from a local pilot school witnessed the event at approximately 14:50 CST. He observed the aircraft on final for runway 12 at Laporte Municipal Airport (T41). Conditions were VFR and the windsock was showing quartering crosswind with a 40 degree deflection relative to runway 12. In accordance with the witness, winds were estimated to be around 15 knots. The aircraft descended to the runway with a left, or downwind, wing low flight attitude. The aircraft made contact with the runway with the left main tire and then proceeded to bounce back into the air while a heading change to the left was observed. The aircraft then came back down to the surface to the left of runway 12 into the adjacent field with a near wings level flight attitude. The aircraft then bounced again back into air while the left wing remained in contact with the ground. The aircraft pivoted around the wing that was still in contact with the ground until it was 180 degrees from the original direction of flight and then came to a stop.
A statement from the student pilot indicated that while landing he experienced a wind gust that push the plane off course. Pilot attempted to go around and put in full power. The wind gust continued pushing aircraft off of runway and the landing gear hit soft terrain causing aircraft to spin and come to rest.
An onsite examination of the aircraft was performed by the reporting inspector. Aircraft fuel tanks had fuel. Marks on the grass indicated that the propeller was spinning. The aircraft nose and main landing gears were separated. All flight controls were attached, except the right wing aileron and flap that were partially separated from the center attachment point. Aircraft fuselage skin near the horizontal stabilizer was wrinkle, but a further examination of the internal structural members showed no damage. Left wing tip was partially damaged. Engine mount broke. No visible structural damage found.
As the FAA filed it
ON APRIL 7, 2015, AT APPROXIMATELY 15:05 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME (CST) A CALL WAS RECEIVED INDICATING THAT AIRCRAFT REGISTRATION NUMBER N1197G; AN AMERICAN GENERAL AIRCRAFT CORP. MODEL AG5B EXPERIENCED AN ACCIDENT AT LAPORTE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (T41), LAPORTE, TEXAS. A CHIEF FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR FROM A LOCAL PILOT SCHOOL WITNESSED THE EVENT AT APPROXIMATELY 14:50 CST. HE OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT ON FINAL FOR RUNWAY 12 AT LAPORTE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (T41). CONDITIONS WERE VFR AND THE WINDSOCK WAS SHOWING QUARTERING CROSSWIND WITH A 40 DEGREE DEFLECTION RELATIVE TO RUNWAY 12. IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE WITNESS, WINDS WERE ESTIMATED TO BE AROUND 15 KNOTS. THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED TO THE RUNWAY WITH A LEFT, OR DOWNWIND, WING LOW FLIGHT ATTITUDE. THE AIRCRAFT MADE CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY WITH THE LEFT MAIN TIRE AND THEN PROCEEDED TO BOUNCE BACK INTO THE AIR WHILE A HEADING CHANGE TO THE LEFT WAS OBSERVED. THE AIRCRAFT THEN CAME BACK DOWN TO THE SURFACE TO THE LEFT OF RUNWAY 12 INTO THE ADJACENT FIELD WITH A NEAR WINGS LEVEL FLIGHT ATTITUDE. THE AIRCRAFT THEN BOUNCED AGAIN BACK INTO AIR WHILE THE LEFT WING REMAINED IN CONTACT WITH THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT PIVOTED AROUND THE WING THAT WAS STILL IN CONTACT WITH THE GROUND UNTIL IT WAS 180 DEGREES FROM THE ORIGINAL DIRECTION OF FLIGHT AND THEN CAME TO A STOP.
A STATEMENT FROM THE STUDENT PILOT INDICATED THAT WHILE LANDING HE EXPERIENCED A WIND GUST THAT PUSH THE PLANE OFF COURSE. PILOT ATTEMPTED TO GO AROUND AND PUT IN FULL POWER. THE WIND GUST CONTINUED PUSHING AIRCRAFT OFF OF RUNWAY AND THE LANDING GEAR HIT SOFT TERRAIN CAUSING AIRCRAFT TO SPIN AND COME TO REST.
AN ONSITE EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS PERFORMED BY THE REPORTING INSPECTOR. AIRCRAFT FUEL TANKS HAD FUEL. MARKS ON THE GRASS INDICATED THAT THE PROPELLER WAS SPINNING. THE AIRCRAFT NOSE AND MAIN LANDING GEARS WERE SEPARATED. ALL FLIGHT CONTROLS WERE ATTACHED, EXCEPT THE RIGHT WING AILERON AND FLAP THAT WERE PARTIALLY SEPARATED FROM THE CENTER ATTACHMENT POINT. AIRCRAFT FUSELAGE SKIN NEAR THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER WAS WRINKLE, BUT A FURTHER EXAMINATION OF THE INTERNAL STRUCTURAL MEMBERS SHOWED NO DAMAGE. LEFT WING TIP WAS PARTIALLY DAMAGED. ENGINE MOUNT BROKE. NO VISIBLE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE FOUND.
Other reports on N1197G · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.