- Date
- February 25, 2009, 16:31 local (23:31 UTC)
- Place
- Denver, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N75WYAviat A-1C
- Defining event
- Taxi-into takeoff position: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 12, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration, FSDO
- FAA report
- 20090225001469A
- Case key
- 73408
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 control during taxi. A contributing factor was the gusty winds.
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 private pilot was cleared by tower to take runway 17 for takeoff, " when a gust of wind picked up the left wing" and rotated the aircraft approximately 45 degrees to the right. The right wing made contact with the runway. The aircraft came to rest in an upright position with the nose on the runway. Substantial damage was confined to the firewall and damage to the right main landing gear, and propeller. The pilot and passenger were not injured. Weather reportedd at the departure airport 10 minutes after the accident indicated winds from 160 degrees at 21 knots with gusts to 30 knots.
Factual narrative
The private pilot was cleared by tower to take runway 17 for takeoff when a gust of wind picked up the left wing and rotated the aircraft approximately 45 degrees to the right. The right wing made contact with the runway and the propeller contacted the runway. The aircraft came to rest in an upright position with the nose on the runway. Substantial damage was confirmed to the firewall and damage to the right main landing gear, propeller and minor damage to the right wing tip. The pilot and passenger were not injured. Weather reportedd at the departure airport 10 minutes after the accident indicated winds from 160 degrees at 21 knots with gusts to 30 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N75WY
- Reported as
- Aviat A-1C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 3013
- Airframe hours
- 113
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1P, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- KAPA · Denver, CO
- Destination
- KAPA · Denver, CO
- Airport
- KAPA · Centenial Airport
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
- 26
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 322 total · 52 in this make and model · 13 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 21 knots, gusting 30
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.78 inHg
- Observed at
- KAPA
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.