20151010017499I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Aerotrike SAFARI HKS · Warrenton, VA · October 10, 2015

Date
October 10, 2015 · 10:40 local
Place
Warrenton, VA
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N42AT
Reported as
Aerotrike Safari HKS
Reported engine
HKS 700E
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
380 total315 in this make and model7 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

PIC executed one previous aborted landing because of unfavorable, gusty cross-wind conditions.

On second landing attempt, PIC again encountered gusty cross-winds but did not begin the aborted landing go-around until the aircraft was less than 15 ft above the ground.

The aircraft's climb performance was not sufficient to clear obstacles before the cross-wind pushed the aircraft laterally into the trees, where the aircraft came to rest.

Pre-flight wind forecast indicated a cross-wind of 5 to 10 knots. PIC stated that his typical cross-wind limit is 8 knots.

As the FAA filed it

PIC EXECUTED ONE PREVIOUS ABORTED LANDING BECAUSE OF UNFAVORABLE, GUSTY CROSS-WIND CONDITIONS.

ON SECOND LANDING ATTEMPT, PIC AGAIN ENCOUNTERED GUSTY CROSS-WINDS BUT DID NOT BEGIN THE ABORTED LANDING GO-AROUND UNTIL THE AIRCRAFT WAS LESS THAN 15 FT ABOVE THE GROUND.

THE AIRCRAFT'S CLIMB PERFORMANCE WAS NOT SUFFICIENT TO CLEAR OBSTACLES BEFORE THE CROSS-WIND PUSHED THE AIRCRAFT LATERALLY INTO THE TREES, WHERE THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST.

PRE-FLIGHT WIND FORECAST INDICATED A CROSS-WIND OF 5 TO 10 KNOTS. PIC STATED THAT HIS TYPICAL CROSS-WIND LIMIT IS 8 KNOTS.