- Date
- May 15, 2010, 12:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Linton, ND
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4346MWsk-Pzl Warzawa-Okecie PZL-104 Wilga 80
- 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 Des Moines FSDO
- Case key
- 76382
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 aircraft control during landing with a 90-degree crosswind.
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 pilot reported that he needed to make an en route fuel stop due to low fuel. The airport that was available had only one runway which necessitated making a 90-degree crosswind landing. He reported that the winds were 180 degrees at 15 knots gusting to 18 knots. The pilot flew a stabilized approach utilizing good crosswind control. He reported that at touchdown, a wind gust overcame the available rudder authority, and the airplane ground looped. The right wing and elevator sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that “better preflight planning could have identified alternate fuel stops at airports with multiple runways, and avoided the need to land in excessive crosswinds due to low fuel.”
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he needed to make an en route fuel stop due to low fuel. The airport that was available had only one runway which necessitated making a 90-degree crosswind landing. He reported that the winds were 180 degrees at 15 knots gusting to 18 knots. The pilot flew a stabilized approach utilizing good crosswind control. He reported that at touchdown, a wind gust overcame the available rudder authority, and the airplane ground looped. The right wing and elevator sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that “better preflight planning could have identified alternate fuel stops at airports with multiple runways, and avoided the need to land in excessive crosswinds due to low fuel.”
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4346M
- Reported as
- Wsk-Pzl Warzawa-Okecie PZL-104 Wilga 80
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- CF21910928
- Airframe hours
- 498
- Engine
- PZL US 122 000, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Skenandore Eugene F
- Registered owner
- Skenandore Eugene F
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 1, 2009
- Departed
- VVV · Ortonville, MN
- Destination
- DIK · Dickenson, ND
- Airport
- 7L2 · Linton Municipal Airport, runway 27
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
- 55
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Flight hours
- 513 total · 192 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 15 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 9, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 758 KB in all.