- Date
- June 12, 2009, 16:55 local (21:55 UTC)
- Place
- Marfa, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N391CAviat A-1A
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 9, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- FAA report
- 20090612007669A
- Case key
- 74038
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 while landing in 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 using his single-engine airplane to conduct an aerial survey of his ranch when he noted a trough that was overflowing. He elected to land at the nearby 1,100-foot-long dirt airstrip so that he could fix the water problem. During landing, the pilot encountered a gust of wind and the airplane bounced, traveling beyond the point where an aborted landing could be safely achieved due to a row of power lines. The pilot first applied brakes, which caused the tail to rise, but not enough to slow the airplane down to a full stop. He then applied full brakes, subsequently flipping the airplane over and resulting in damage to both wings and the vertical stabilizer.
Factual narrative
The private pilot was using his single-engine airplane to conduct an aerial survey of his ranch, when he noted a trough that was overflowing. He elected to land at the nearby 1,100-foot-long, dirt airstrip so he could fix the water problem. During landing, the pilot encountered a gust of wind and the airplane bounced, traveling beyond the point where an aborted landing could be safely achieved due to a row of power lines. The pilot first applied brakes, which caused the tail to rise, but the not enough to slow the airplane down to a full stop. So, he then applied full brakes which subsequently flipped the airplane over resulting in damage to both wings and the vertical stabilizer.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N391C
- Reported as
- Aviat A-1A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1467
- Engine
- Lycoming O&VO-360 SER, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Fowlkes Preston L
- Registered owner
- Fowlkes Preston L
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- None · Fowlkes, TX
- Destination
- None · Marfa, TX
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- None · Private
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
- 36
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 715 total · 580 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 24, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.2 MB 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.