- Date
- April 18, 2020, 12:45 local (18:45 UTC)
- Place
- Hudson, CO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8810TEagle Eagle DW 1
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 29, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20200418000689A
- Case key
- 101180
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 during the landing roll, which resulted in a runway excursion and nose-over.
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 reported that he had completed a banner tow flight and had dropped the banner at its designated location. He subsequently entered the traffic pattern and approached to land with a right crosswind. During the landing roll, the airplane weather-vaned, exited the right side of the runway, and entered soft grass. The airplane nosed over, which resulted in substantial damage to the left upper wing, vertical stabilizer, and rudder. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot in the tailwheel-equipped biplane had completed a banner tow flight and had dropped the banner at its designated location. He subsequently entered the traffic pattern and approached to land with a right crosswind. During the landing roll, the airplane weathervaned, exited the right side of the runway and entered the soft grass surface that bordered the runway. The airplane nosed over and sustained substantial damage to the left upper wing, the vertical stabilizer and the rudder. The pilot reported no preaccident anomalies with the airplane that could have contributed to the accident. The pilot reported that about the time of the accident, the wind was from 360° at 8 knots. The airplane landed on runway 33.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8810T
- Reported as
- Eagle Eagle DW 1 (No Series)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- DW-1-0064-82
- Built
- 1982
- Airframe hours
- 4,856
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-M1B5D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Banner tow · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 8, 2019
- Departed
- 18V · Hudson, CO
- Destination
- 18V · Hudson, CO
- Airport
- 18V · Platte Valley Airpark, runway 33, 4,100 × 40 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS, ADS-B
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
- 54
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 20, 2019
- Seat
- Single
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,151 total · 81.9 in this make and model · 1,032 as pilot in command · 39.5 in the last 90 days · 5.4 in the last 30 days · 5.4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 14,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Observed at
- KDEN, 16 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 30, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.4 MB 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.