- Date
- May 21, 2011, 17:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Albuqurque, NM
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N79BCHenry Slosing Lanceair
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 6, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- Case key
- 79211
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 loss of directional control while landing in gusty conditions.
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 had just touched down with a 12-knot crosswind when the wind suddenly gusted to 36 knots and pushed the airplane off the runway. The pilot stated that he attempted to fly out of the condition by adding power, and the airplane became airborne about three times; however, the landing gear became side-loaded and the right gear collapsed. The left wing also contacted the ground and sustained a two foot-wide gouge in the leading edge. The sudden wind shift/gust was confirmed by the tower air traffic controller and approximately one hour later the airport's automated weather observation system reported the wind shifted to 240 degrees and increased to 21 knots gusting to 28 knots.
Factual narrative
The pilot had just touched down on Runway 22 with a 12 knot cross wind when the wind suddenly gusted to 36 knots. According to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, the unforecasted gust pushed the airplane to the side of the runway. The pilot told the inspector that he attempted to fly out of the condition by adding power and the airplane became airborne about three times; however, the landing gear became side-loaded and the right gear collapsed. The left wing also contacted the ground and sustained a two foot-wide gouge in the leading edge. Weather reported at the airport 10 minutes prior to the accident included wind from 260 degrees at 12 knots and rain showers in the vicinity of the airport. The sudden wind shift/gust was confirmed by the air traffic control tower and approximately one hour later the airport's automated weather observation system reported the wind shifted to 240 degrees and increased to 21 knots gusting to 28 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N79BC
- Reported as
- Henry Slosing Lanceair
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 668-320-412FB
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Abraham Brant C
- Registered owner
- Abraham Brant C
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- Wichita, KS
- Destination
- AEG · Albuqurque, NM
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- AEG · Double Eagle, runway 22
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
- 44
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 4,700 total · 30 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 12 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 7,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.94 inHg
- Observed at
- AEG
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 8, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 72 KB in all.