# NTSB CEN18LA307: Gerald Dan Coppock Bade-E, N142NV, Escanaba, MI, August 2, 2018 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: August 2, 2018, 19:00 local (23:00 UTC) - Place: Escanaba, MI - Coordinates: 45.722778, -87.093612 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=45.7228&lon=-87.0936&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing: Loss of control on ground](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report June 3, 2020 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 97976 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN18LA307 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/97976/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=97976 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN18LA307 ## Probable cause The loss of control during the landing rollout for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence, which resulted in a ground loop and runway excursion. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Not determined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000): Not determined › Not determined · Unknown/Not determined (probable cause); cases with it: [Gerald Dan Coppock BABE-E, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md?model=05633L1), [All aircraft, 2,247 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing: Loss of control on ground](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230) (defining event); cases with it: [Gerald Dan Coppock BABE-E, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230/sequence.md?model=05633L1), [All aircraft, 4,585 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230/sequence.md) - [Landing: Runway excursion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300); cases with it: [Gerald Dan Coppock BABE-E, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md?model=05633L1), [All aircraft, 3,643 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot was landing the experimental, amateur-built, tailwheel-equipped airplane on a dry runway. During the rollout, the airplane veered to the left when the tailwheel was lowered to the runway. Both wingtips contacted the runway surface; the airplane ground looped and exited the runway, which resulted in substantial damage to the forward section of the fuselage. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the right steering cable chain was broken and hanging from the tailwheel. It could not be determined if the cable broke before or during the accident sequence. ## Factual narrative On August 02, 2018, about 1900 eastern daylight time, a Gerald Dan Coppock BABE-E homebuilt experimental airplane, N142NV, registered to the pilot/builder, sustained substantial damage during a runway excursion following a loss of directional control while landing at the Delta County Airport (ESC), Escanaba, Michigan. The pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed. The local personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Federal Code of Regulations Part 91. The flight originated from ESC about 1830. According to the pilot, he was landing on runway 01 at ESC and the airplane touched down normally. During the rollout, the airplane veered to the left once the tailwheel contacted the runway. Both wingtips contacted the runway surface and the airplane ground-looped. The forward section of the fuselage was buckled upward and substantially damaged. The airplane came to rest, nose down and the pilot exited the airplane. According to ESC METAR weather, reported winds about the time of the accident were 330 at 5 knots. Inspection of the airplane after the accident revealed that the right steering cable chain was broken and hanging from the tailwheel. It could not be determined if the cable break was caused prior to or during the accident sequence. NTSB Form 6120 was not received from the pilot for additional information. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N142NV](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N142NV), registered now, S/N GDC1, built 2014 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Gerald Dan Coppock Bade-E - Registry model: [Gerald Dan Coppock BABE-E](https://openairdocs.org/model/gerald-dan-coppock-babe-e) (registry code 05633L1) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental A80 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-a80-series) (registry code 17006, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane, amateur-built - Serial number: GDC1 - Year built: 2014 - Airframe hours: 55 - Engines: Continental A80 80 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: Condition, August 2, 2017 - Departed: ESC, Escanaba, MI - Destination: ESC, Escanaba, MI - Airport: ESC, Delta County Airport, runway 1, 5,016 × 100 ft, asphalt - Equipment: None ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 68; injuries: none; sport pilot; medical: sport pilot; seat: front; restraint: 4-point; flight hours: 1,400 total, 55 in this make and model, 15 in the last 90 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 330° at 5 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 4,000 ft broken - Temperature: 66 °F, dew point 57 °F - Altimeter: 29.98 inHg - Observed at: ESC ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20180802014879A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20180802014879A), Aug 2, 2018: Gerald Dan Coppock BABE-E, Escanaba, MI, Substantial damage. On August 02, 2018 at 7:00 pm eastern daylight time, an experimental Gerald Dan Coppock model: Babe-E aircraft, N142NV, registered to and operated by a sport… ## Docket (3 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 31, 2020, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=97976. 814 KB in all. - Memorandum for the Record Information from Pilot CEN18LA307 (item 1, .PDF, 180 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40480419&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Memorandum%20for%20the%20Record%20Information%20from%20Pilot%20CEN18LA307-Master.PDF - Memorandum for the Record FAA Inspector Findings CEN18LA307 (item 2, .PDF, 461 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40480420&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Memorandum%20for%20the%20Record%20FAA%20Inspector%20Findings%20CEN18LA307-Master.PDF - Photo Array CEN18LA307 (item 3, .PDF, 173 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40480421&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%20Array%20CEN18LA307-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.