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20210421005389A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Consolidated Vultee BT-13A · Camas, WA · April 21, 2021

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
April 21, 2021 · 15:15 local
Place
Camas, WA
Airport
Grove Field
Phase of flight
Landing: Rollout
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N53331
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR21FA170
Reported as
Consolidated Vultee BT-13A
Reported engine
Pratt & Whitney R-985 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
1
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
N53331Registration cancelled Feb 5, 2022 · Consolidated Vultee BT-13AS/N 1491 · Built 1941Airframe modelConsolidated Vultee BT-13AEngine modelPratt & Whitney R-985 seriesReciprocating

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.

The flight started at Grove Field (1W1) at about 13:45 PST. Pilot and CFI flew to hood river (ken jernstedt airfield 4S2) where they did several full stop landings on the grass. CFI stated that the pilot?s rudder control was sloppy and said the pilot had commented on legs feeling weak.

They flew back to Grove Field and entered the pattern to land on 25. Pilot could not stabilize the approach and did a go around without touching down. Aircraft went around and according to the CFI the pilot did better and landed ?on the numbers with a three point landing?. As the aircraft slowed to about 50 knots it went slightly left with the left wheel going on into the grass at about 400 feet down the runway. CFI applied right rudder with no effect. He heard the pilot curse as the pilot applied full throttle and pulled back on the stick.

The aircraft sharply went left, climbed into the air then stalled to the left. The left wing tip hit the ground and aircraft cartwheeled on it's nose and the still turning propeller as the aircraft crossed the taxiway in front of the hangars. It impacted the front door of the northwest hangar belly first with the tail in the air.

The forward cockpit was crushed. The pilot sustained fatal injuries. CFI in the back seat was thrown against the aft instrument panel. CFI released his seatbelts and fell out of the aft cockpit onto the ground (aft canopy slid forward during impact). Both pilots were wearing flight helments. ELT was activated by impact.

As the FAA filed it

THE FLIGHT STARTED AT GROVE FIELD (1W1) AT ABOUT 13:45 PST. PILOT AND CFI FLEW TO HOOD RIVER (KEN JERNSTEDT AIRFIELD 4S2) WHERE THEY DID SEVERAL FULL STOP LANDINGS ON THE GRASS. CFI STATED THAT THE PILOT?S RUDDER CONTROL WAS SLOPPY AND SAID THE PILOT HAD COMMENTED ON LEGS FEELING WEAK.

THEY FLEW BACK TO GROVE FIELD AND ENTERED THE PATTERN TO LAND ON 25. PILOT COULD NOT STABILIZE THE APPROACH AND DID A GO AROUND WITHOUT TOUCHING DOWN. AIRCRAFT WENT AROUND AND ACCORDING TO THE CFI THE PILOT DID BETTER AND LANDED ?ON THE NUMBERS WITH A THREE POINT LANDING?. AS THE AIRCRAFT SLOWED TO ABOUT 50 KNOTS IT WENT SLIGHTLY LEFT WITH THE LEFT WHEEL GOING ON INTO THE GRASS AT ABOUT 400 FEET DOWN THE RUNWAY. CFI APPLIED RIGHT RUDDER WITH NO EFFECT. HE HEARD THE PILOT CURSE AS THE PILOT APPLIED FULL THROTTLE AND PULLED BACK ON THE STICK.

THE AIRCRAFT SHARPLY WENT LEFT, CLIMBED INTO THE AIR THEN STALLED TO THE LEFT. THE LEFT WING TIP HIT THE GROUND AND AIRCRAFT CARTWHEELED ON IT'S NOSE AND THE STILL TURNING PROPELLER AS THE AIRCRAFT CROSSED THE TAXIWAY IN FRONT OF THE HANGARS. IT IMPACTED THE FRONT DOOR OF THE NORTHWEST HANGAR BELLY FIRST WITH THE TAIL IN THE AIR.

THE FORWARD COCKPIT WAS CRUSHED. THE PILOT SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. CFI IN THE BACK SEAT WAS THROWN AGAINST THE AFT INSTRUMENT PANEL. CFI RELEASED HIS SEATBELTS AND FELL OUT OF THE AFT COCKPIT ONTO THE GROUND (AFT CANOPY SLID FORWARD DURING IMPACT). BOTH PILOTS WERE WEARING FLIGHT HELMENTS. ELT WAS ACTIVATED BY IMPACT.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB WPR21FA170Accident · 1 fatalClass 3 · FieldFinal reportCamas, WAThe pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during an aborted landing, resulting in an aerodynamic stall and impact with terrain.Apr 21, 2021 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N53331 · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 20160812020179ALanding: Rollout · Joseph, ORDuring landing rollout on runway 33, the aircraft departed the runway to the right and onto the grass. The airman added full power to initiate a go-around and the aircraft veered left, crossed the runway, and departed the runway off the left side onto the…Aug 12, 2016 · Substantial damage