- Date
- July 23, 2004, 15:37 local (19:37 UTC)
- Place
- New Bern, NC
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N60DLong Pitts Special S1S
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 24, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Greensboro FSDO - 05
- FAA report
- 20040723029809A
- Case key
- 59781
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 inadequate compensation for winds and his failure to maintain directional control during a crosswind landing, which resulted in an on-ground collision with an airport sign. A factor was the crosswind condition.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot stated that, during landing roll on runway 22, a wind gust picked up the left wings and pushed the airplane to the right of the runway. He stated he added power to go around, and the airplane's right wing collided with an airport runway/taxiway sign. Examination of the airplane revealed damage to the right side of the fuselage, the right main landing gear, the propeller, and the lower right wing. The weather observation station for the airport reported at 1542 winds were from 180 degrees at 10 knots, visibility 5 statute miles with haze, with lightning distant west and northwest.
Factual narrative
On July 23, 2004, at 1537 eastern daylight time, a Long Pitts Special S1S experimental airplane, N60D, registered to a private owner and operated by the private pilot, collided with an airport sign at the Craven County Regional Airport, New Bern, North Carolina. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual metrological conditions prevailed. The private pilot reported no injuries, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The local flight departed New Bern, North Carolina, at 1525 on July 23, 2004.
The pilot stated he flew the airplane in the local area, then returned to the airport and was cleared to land on runway 22. The pilot stated he intended a full-stop landing. He stated that, during landing roll, a wind gust picked up the left wings and pushed the airplane to the right of the runway. He stated that he added power to go-around, and the airplane's lower right wing collided with an airport runway/taxiway sign.
Examination of the airplane revealed damage to the right side of the fuselage, the right main landing gear, the propeller, and the lower right wing. The weather observation station for the airport reported at 1542 winds were from 180 degrees at 10 knots, visibility 5 statute miles with haze, with lightning distant west and northwest.
The pilot stated he had just purchased the airplane. At the time of the accident, Federal Aviation Administration records did not yet reflect the ownership change.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N60D
- Reported as
- Long Pitts Special S1S
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 7-0061
- Airframe hours
- 713
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · July 23, 2004 · 689 hours before
- Departed
- KEWN · New Bern, NC
- Destination
- KEWN · New Bern, NC
- Airport
- KEWN · Craven County Regional, runway 22, 6,004 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- 37
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 8, 2003
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 931 total · 8 in this make and model · 29 in the last 90 days · 23 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.89 inHg
- Observed at
- KEWN
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.