- Date
- May 8, 2020, 10:55 local (15:55 UTC)
- Place
- San Antonio, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3238GNorth American SNJ
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20200508004999A
- Case key
- 101262
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 a tailwheel airplane in gusty wind 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 reported that he had just completed a landing in a tailwheel equipped airplane, and he noticed the wind began to shift. He then elected to conduct another wheel landing. The pilot stated he landed on runway 17, on centerline, and that as he lowered the tail, the airplane experienced a strong pull to the right. He was unable to keep the airplane from departing the runway and as he reduced the throttle, the airplane entered a ground loop. The airplane's right main landing gear collapsed, and the wing and propeller struck the ground. Substantial damaged was noted to the right wing. A review of the weather conditions about the time of the accident noted wind at 330° at 3 kts, and 20 minutes later, the wind was reported as 360° at 11 kts with gusts to 17 kts. The accident is consistent with the pilot's loss of control during landing.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he had just completed a landing in a tailwheel equipped airplane, and he noticed the wind began to shift. He then elected to conduct another wheel landing. The pilot stated he landed on runway 17, on centerline, and that as he lowered the tail, the airplane experienced a strong pull to the right. He was unable to keep the airplane from departing the runway and as he reduced the throttle, the airplane entered a ground loop. The airplane's right main landing gear collapsed, and the wing and propeller struck the ground. Substantial damaged was noted to the right wing. A review of the weather conditions about the time of the accident noted wind at 330° at 3 kts, and 20 minutes later, the wind was reported as 360° at 11 kts with gusts to 17 kts. The accident is consistent with the pilot's loss of control during landing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3238G
- Reported as
- North American SNJ (6)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 112348
- Built
- 1959
- Airframe hours
- 706.1
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 2020
- Departed
- 5C1 · San Antonio, TX
- Destination
- 5C1 · San Antonio, TX
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- 5C1 · Boerne Stage Field Airport, runway 17, 5,006 × 60 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
- 46
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2
- Last flight review
- January 22, 2019
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 4,296 total · 25 in this make and model · 5,296 as pilot in command · 142 in the last 90 days · 63 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 11 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,700 ft broken
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.97 inHg
- Observed at
- K5C1
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 26, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.4 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.