- Date
- June 15, 2009, 15:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- South Haven, MI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9010RCessna A188B
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA-Grand Rapids FSDO
- Case key
- 74245
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 landing.
Findings · 2
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 pilot reported that he was landing the airplane on a grass runway when the accident occurred. He stated that he had touched down and had lowered the tail when the airplane reached the intersecting paved taxiway for the perpendicular runway. He stated that the airplane "bounced" when it contacted the paved taxiway and began to veer to the right. He attempted to correct and the airplane ground-looped on the paved intersecting runway/taxiway. The damage to the airplane included a bent right wing spar, twisting of the fuselage structure, and damage to the landing gear attach structure within the fuselage.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he was landing the airplane on a grass runway when the accident occurred. He stated that he had touched down and had lowered the tail when the airplane reached the intersecting paved taxiway for the perpendicular runway. He stated that the airplane "bounced" when it contacted the paved taxiway and began to veer to the right. He attempted to correct and the airplane ground-looped on the paved intersecting runway/taxiway. The damage to the airplane included a bent right wing spar, twisting of the fuselage structure, and damage to the landing gear attach structure within the fuselage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9010R
- Reported as
- Cessna A188B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18802080T
- Engine
- Cont Motor IO 520 SERIES, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Robertson Crop Dusting Service Inc
- Registered owner
- Robertson Crop Dusting Service Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- LWA · South Haven, MI
- Destination
- LWA · South Haven, MI
- Airport
- LWA · South Haven Area Regional Airp, runway 32, 3,275 × 190 ft, grass/turf
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
- 51
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 30, 2009
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 350 total · 4 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- BEH, 15 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 5, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 68 KB in all.