- Date
- July 18, 2009, 17:00 local (Jul 19, 2009, 01:00 UTC)
- Place
- Anchorage, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N425BCDressen Donald L Back Count
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 29, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration (Airworthiness)
- FAA report
- 20090718047649A
- Case key
- 74328
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll, resulting in a ground-loop and substantial damage to the airplane.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The commercial pilot reported he was practicing touch-and-go landings in his homebuilt, tailwheel-equipped airplane at an off airport site, which required a correction for a variable left crosswind. The airplane was operated under Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot said that during touchdown on the mud-covered site, a gust of wind pushed the airplane to the right, and it subsequently ground-looped to the left. The right main landing gear collapsed, and the right wing struck the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The pilot indicated that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane, and noted in his report to the NTSB that the accident could have been avoided if he had been proficient in crosswind landings at off airport sites.
Factual narrative
The commercial pilot reported he was practicing touch-and-go landings in his homebuilt, tailwheel-equipped airplane at an off airport site, which required a correction for a variable left crosswind. The airplane was operated under Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot said that during touchdown on the mud-covered site, a gust of wind pushed the airplane to the right, and it subsequently ground-looped to the left. The right main landing gear collapsed, and the right wing struck the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The pilot indicated that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane, and noted in his report to the NTSB that the accident could have been avoided if he had been proficient in crosswind landings at off airport sites.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N425BC
- Reported as
- Dressen Donald L Back Count
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 0001
- Airframe hours
- 700
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360 SER, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Raymond E. Hout
- Registered owner
- Raymond E. Hout
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · April 20, 2009 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- MRI · Anchorage, AK
- Destination
- MRI · Anchorage, AK
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 44
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,900 total · 40 in this make and model · 2,000 as pilot in command · 40 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 20 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft overcast
- Observed at
- MRI, 10 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 14, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 611 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.