- Date
- June 19, 2010, 08:53 local (13:53 UTC)
- Place
- Crystal, MN
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N25WFPiper/Wally'S Flyers J3C-65
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 21, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Minneapolis FSDO
- FAA report
- 20100619037189A
- Case key
- 76371
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 the crosswind landing and the instructor pilot's delayed remedial action.
Findings · 5
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 flying the airplane was in training to get a tailwheel endorsement and a flight review since he was not current. The pilot and flight instructor did some air work in the practice area before returning to the airport to practice takeoffs and full stop landings. The pilot completed ten takeoffs and full stop landings with a right crosswind. They changed runways in order to practice a left crosswind landing. The flare and landing were normal. During the landing roll out, a gust of wind lifted the left wing and caused the airplane to weather vane and veer off the left side of the runway. The airplane struck an airport sign damaging the right horizontal stabilizer and right elevator. The flight instructor stated, “I should have corrected the aircraft sooner and before my student got out of control.”
Factual narrative
The pilot flying the airplane was in training so that he could get a tail wheel endorsement and a flight review since he was not current. The pilot and flight instructor did some air work in the practice area before returning to the airport to practice takeoffs and full stop landings. The pilot completed ten takeoffs and full stop landings with a right crosswind. They changed runways in order to practice a left crosswind landing. The flare and landing were normal. During the landing roll out, a gust of wind lifted the left wing and caused the airplane to weathervane and veer off the left side of the runway. The airplane struck an airport sign damaging the right horizontal stabilizer and right elevator. The flight instructor stated, “I should have corrected the aircraft sooner and before my student got out of control.”
Aircraft
- Registration
- N25WF
- Reported as
- Piper/Wally'S Flyers J3C-65
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 5671
- Engine
- Cont Motor A&C65 SERIES, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Wallys Flyers Inc
- Registered owner
- Wallys Flyers Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- MIC · Crystal, MN
- Destination
- MIC · Crystal, MN
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- MIC · Crystal Airport, runway 32R, 3,263 × 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 60
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Flight hours
- 4,500 total · 50 in this make and model
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 51
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Flight hours
- 213 total · 21 in this make and model · 150 in the last 90 days · 76 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 12, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.4 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.
Other investigations on N25WF · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.