What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Airman was approaching to land on his private airstrip and overflew the area to observe the windsock. He stated that the windsock was straight down indicating to him that the winds were calm. He elected to land from east to west, along a heading of approximately 250 degrees. Airman stated that he touched down normally, performing a wheel landing, and to his belief, a gust of wind caused the aircraft to tip over. Upon observing the scene, there were propeller scar marks observed 63 feet from where the airman states that he touched down. These run for approximately 15 feet. Some time after that is a gouge mark that appears to have been made by the left tire. Approximately 20-30 feet later the left wing strikes the ground and almost simultaneously this is when the prop spinner strikes the ground and the aircraft flipped over. The reported winds at rdg, 7-8NM away, at 2154Z, 4 minutes after the accident, were 210 at 5 knots. One hour prior they were 220 at 11 and one hour after they were 270 at 3 knots.
As the FAA filed it
AIRMAN WAS APPROACHING TO LAND ON HIS PRIVATE AIRSTRIP AND OVERFLEW THE AREA TO OBSERVE THE WINDSOCK. HE STATED THAT THE WINDSOCK WAS STRAIGHT DOWN INDICATING TO HIM THAT THE WINDS WERE CALM. HE ELECTED TO LAND FROM EAST TO WEST, ALONG A HEADING OF APPROXIMATELY 250 DEGREES. AIRMAN STATED THAT HE TOUCHED DOWN NORMALLY, PERFORMING A WHEEL LANDING, AND TO HIS BELIEF, A GUST OF WIND CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO TIP OVER. UPON OBSERVING THE SCENE, THERE WERE PROPELLER SCAR MARKS OBSERVED 63 FEET FROM WHERE THE AIRMAN STATES THAT HE TOUCHED DOWN. THESE RUN FOR APPROXIMATELY 15 FEET. SOME TIME AFTER THAT IS A GOUGE MARK THAT APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN MADE BY THE LEFT TIRE. APPROXIMATELY 20-30 FEET LATER THE LEFT WING STRIKES THE GROUND AND ALMOST SIMULTANEOUSLY THIS IS WHEN THE PROP SPINNER STRIKES THE GROUND AND THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED OVER. THE REPORTED WINDS AT RDG, 7-8NM AWAY, AT 2154Z, 4 MINUTES AFTER THE ACCIDENT, WERE 210 AT 5 KNOTS. ONE HOUR PRIOR THEY WERE 220 AT 11 AND ONE HOUR AFTER THEY WERE 270 AT 3 KNOTS.
Other reports on N4244L · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.