- Date
- August 21, 2011, 16:10 local (21:10 UTC)
- Place
- Joplin, MO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N544RSRans Designs S-7LS
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 17, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20110821020749A
- Case key
- 81580
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 the 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
According to the pilot, during the landing, a gust of wind pushed the airplane to the right of runway centerline. The pilot applied rudder and aileron inputs to counter the unexpected wind. Subsequently, the airplane ground looped and came to rest upright on the runway. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed the right wing spar was bent. No airframe or engine anomalies were reported by the pilot. The wind conditions at the airport were light and variable at the time of the accident.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, during the landing, a gust of wind pushed the airplane to the right of runway centerline. The pilot applied rudder and aileron inputs to counter the unexpected wind. Subsequently, the airplane ground looped and came to rest upright on the runway. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed the right wing spar was bent. No airframe or engine anomalies were reported by the pilot. The wind conditions at the airport were light and variable at the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N544RS
- Reported as
- Rans Designs S-7LS
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 0907482
- Airframe hours
- 496
- Engine
- Rotax 912ULS, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 10, 2011
- Departed
- JLN · Joplin, MO
- Destination
- JLN · Joplin, MO
- Airport
- JLN · Joplin Regional Airport, runway 13, 6,502 × 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
- 71
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 10, 2011
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 97 total · 20 in this make and model · 29 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Observed at
- JLN
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 13, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 354 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.