- Date
- August 2, 2009, 13:53 local (18:53 UTC)
- Place
- Oshkosh, WI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N413GGallagher Junior ACE
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Flight control sys malf/fail
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 19, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- Case key
- 74432
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 failure of a weld joint on the right rudder pedal leading to the loss of 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
During a crosswind takeoff, a weld on a right rudder pedal failed in overload. The airplane subsequently ground looped.
Factual narrative
On August 2, 2009, about 1353 central daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Gallagher Junior Ace airplane, N413G, sustained a loss of directional control during a crosswind takeoff from runway 18 (8,002 feet by 150 feet, dry grooved concrete) at the Wittman Regional Airport, Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The airplane ground looped and subsequently sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airline transport rated pilot and the student pilot were uninjured. The 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight was not operating on a flight plan. The flight was originating at the time of the accident and was destined for the Poplar Grove Airport, near Poplar Grove, Illinois. The student pilot was seated in the left seat which was equipped with rudder pedals with brakes. The airline transport rated pilot held a certified flight instructor certificate and was in the right seat which was equipped with only rudder pedals. The right seat pilot said that at 50 mph he called "tail coming up." The crosswind procedure at that point required "more right rudder" inputs and his right rudder pedal broke off at its weld. He "yelled" for the student pilot to apply right rudder. The right seat pilot said that the ground loop started and that he closed the throttle. The right seat pilot stated, "I welded finger strap reinforcements to the left set of rudder pedals, although not called for in the plans. ... I would now recommend reinforcements on all rudder pedals."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N413G
- Reported as
- Gallagher Junior ACE
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 61-N
- Airframe hours
- 98
- Engine
- Rotec R2800, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · March 24, 2009 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- OSH · Oshkosh, WI
- Destination
- C77 · Poplar Grove, IL
- Airport
- OSH · Wittman Regional Airport, runway 18, 8,002 × 150 ft, concrete
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
- 47
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial, Flight instructor, Flight engineer
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 1, 2008
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 16,150 total · 72 in this make and model · 10,736 as pilot in command · 245 in the last 90 days · 81 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 9 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.87 inHg
- Observed at
- OSH
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 31, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 843 KB in all.