- Date
- September 1, 2011, 10:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Higginsville, MO
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N46112Taylorcraft DCO-65
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 22, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA-Kansas City FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110901020669A
- Case key
- 81668
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 landing and his failure to maintain clearance from trees during the attempted aborted landing.
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
According to the pilot, during landing the wind lifted the left wing of the tailwheel-equipped airplane. As the wing came back down, the airplane began to ground loop and the airplane veered toward the right side of the runway. Due to observed terrain obstructions, the pilot elected to abort the landing and applied engine power. He attempted to clear a row of trees, but the airplane struck the trees and fell to the ground. The pilot reported that there were no anomalies with regard to the airplane. The airplane damage included bending of the left wing.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that, while landing, the wind lifted the left wing of the tailwheel equipped airplane. As the wing began to come back down, a ground loop started and the airplane started to depart the right side of the runway. The pilot stated that due to observed terrain obstructions, he elected to abort the landing and applied engine power. The pilot reported that he attempted to clear a row of trees, but the airplane struck the trees and fell to the ground. The reported wind at an airport about 22 miles south of the accident site was recorded as 14 knots and 50 degrees right of runway heading. The pilot reported that there were no anomalies with regard to the airplane. The airplane damage included bending of the left wing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N46112
- Reported as
- Taylorcraft DCO-65
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- L-5572
- Engine
- Cont Motor A&C65 SERIES, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- K88 · Iola, KS
- Destination
- HIG · Higginsville, MO
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- HIG · Higginsville Industrial Muni, runway 16, 4,400 × 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 70
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,800 total · 226 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 14 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.97 inHg
- Observed at
- KSZL, 22 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 4, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 46 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.
Other investigations on N46112 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.