- Date
- July 10, 2010, 14:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Santa Fe, NM
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N84723Aeronca 7AC
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 20, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Albuquerque FSDO
- FAA report
- 20100710045579A
- Case key
- 76659
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 of the airplane while landing with gusting winds.
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 was landing on runway 20 with a right quartering headwind of 7 knots, with gusts to 19 knots. The pilot reported that, as he was making a left turn to enter a taxiway, a gust of wind raised the wing before he lost directional control. The airplane then impacted a runway marker sign, causing substantial damage to the right main landing gear, right side of the fuselage, and the propeller. The pilot reported that he was not injured and exited the airplane unassisted. The pilot also reported that there was no mechanical malfunction or failure with the airplane. The Federal Aviation Administration inspector who responded to the scene and examined the airplane reported that there were no anomalies with the brake system, tailwheel steering, or flight controls.
Factual narrative
The pilot was landing on a 8,342 feet long by 150 feet wide asphalt runway. The winds reported at the time of the accident were a right quartering headwind of 7 knots with gusts to 19 knots. As the pilot was making a turn to the left to enter a taxiway “a gust of wind” raised the wing, the pilot lost directional control, and the airplane impacted a runway marker sign. There was substantial damage to the right main landing gear, right side of the fuselage, and the propeller. The pilot reported that he was not injured and exited the airplane unassisted. The pilot reported that there was no mechanical malfunction or failure with the airplane. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector who responded to the scene and examined the airplane reported that there were no anomalies with the brake system, tail wheel steering, or flight controls.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N84723
- Reported as
- Aeronca 7AC (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7AC-3438
- Airframe hours
- 4,535
- Engine
- Continental A-65-8, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- SAF · Santa FE, NM
- Destination
- SAF · Santa FE, NM
- Airport
- SAF · Santa Fe Municipal Airport, runway 20, 8,342 × 150 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
- 74
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 19, 2008
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 2,960 total · 105 in this make and model · 2,915 as pilot in command · 21 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 7 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F
- Observed at
- SAF
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 16, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 410 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.