- Date
- March 31, 1996, 11:45 local (15:45 UTC)
- Place
- Ormond Beach, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8VMMeeker JUNGSTER-1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 23, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960331005649A
- Case key
- 3715
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 a landing, which resulted in a ground loop. A factor relating to the accident was: the pilot's lack of total experience in type of aircraft.
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 after landing, the airplane started to drift to the left, when braking action was initiated. According to the pilot, the airplane ground looped before he could compensate. Both the upper and lower left wings of the aircraft were torn off after contact with the runway surface. Examination of the aircraft failed to disclose a previous mechanical problem. The pilot also stated that his limited experience in tail wheel aircraft caused the aircraft to get away from him.
Factual narrative
On March 31, 1996, at 1145 eastern daylight time, a Meeker Junkster-1, N8VM was substantially damaged following a collision with terrain during the landing roll at the Ormond Beach Municipal Airport, in Ormond Beach, Florida. The private pilot was not injured in the accident. The aircraft was being operated under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 by the pilot. Visual meteorological conditions existed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan had been filed for the local, personal flight. The flight departed Ormond Beach, Florida, at 1100.
The pilot stated that after landing on runway 29, the airplane started to drift to the left when braking action was initiated. According to the pilot, the airplane ground looped before he could compensate. Both the upper and lower left wings of the aircraft were torn off after contact with the runway surface.
The examination of the aircraft failed to disclose a mechanical problem. The pilot also stated that his limited experience in tail wheel aircraft caused the aircraft to get away from him.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8VM
- Reported as
- Meeker JUNGSTER-1
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 691159
- Airframe hours
- 74
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Thomas Scott Vedder
- Registered owner
- Fred S. Meeker
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 7, 1996 · 5 hours before
- Departed
- OMN
- Airport
- OMN · Ormond Beach Municipal, runway 29, 4,000 × 100 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
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 243 total · 3 in this make and model · 183 as pilot in command · 3 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DAB, 20 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N8VM · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.