- Date
- October 18, 2009, 14:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Toledo, OH
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N6186LSkistmas George Pietnpol Aircamper
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 28, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA -- Cleveland FSDO
- FAA report
- 20091018053459A
- Case key
- 75309
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 conducting takeoffs and landings in the traffic pattern at the time of the accident. He added that he had been dealing with "moderate turbulence from thermals and the shifting winds" during the flight. The pilot stated that the airplane drifted left of the runway centerline during the landing flare. He reported that, as the left main wheel touched down, a gust of wind from the right caused the airplane to depart the left side of the runway. He was "only able to maintain enough control to prevent a ground loop but not sufficient to avoid clipping the runway light with the horizontal stabilizer." A postaccident inspection revealed substantial damage to the horizontal stabilizer and elevator. The pilot reported that there were no failures or malfunctions associated with the airplane prior to the accident.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he was conducting takeoffs and landings in the traffic pattern at the time of the accident. He added that he had been dealing with "moderate turbulence from thermals and the shifting winds" during the flight. The pilot stated that the airplane drifted left of the runway centerline during the landing flare. As the left main wheel touched down, a gust of wind from the right caused the airplane to depart the left side of the runway. He was "only able to maintain enough control to prevent a ground loop but not sufficient to avoid clipping the runway light with the horizontal stabilizer." A post accident inspection revealed substantial damage to the horizontal stabilizer and elevator. The pilot reported that there were no failures or malfunctions associated with the airplane prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6186L
- Reported as
- Skistmas George Pietnpol Aircamper
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 002
- Airframe hours
- 183
- Engine
- Cont Motor A-65-8, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Talon Aero LLC
- Registered owner
- Talon Aero LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · July 1, 2009
- Departed
- TDZ · Toledo, OH
- Destination
- TDZ · Toledo, OH
- Airport
- TDZ · Metcalf Field, runway 22, 3,799 × 75 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
- 45
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Foreign
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 19, 2009
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 94 total · 10 in this make and model · 34 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.31 inHg
- Observed at
- TDZ, 1 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 3, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 746 KB 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.