- Date
- September 16, 2021, 15:56 local (19:56 UTC)
- Place
- Battle Creek, MI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N53GLWaco Classic 2T-1A-2
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: 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
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20210916015799A
- Case key
- 103910
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 tailwheel equipped airplane during a crosswind landing and the flight instructor’s inadequate remedial action.
Findings · 4
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 was receiving additional flight instruction in the tailwheel-equipped airplane. During the landing with a crosswind, the airplane bounced and then settled onto the runway. The airplane veered to the right, so the pilot applied left rudder but overcorrected to the left. The pilot then relinquished the controls to the flight instructor. The flight instructor was unable to regain control and the airplane ground looped. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower right wing rear spar and aileron. The pilot and flight instructor both reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N53GL
- Reported as
- Waco Classic 2T-1A-2
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1206
- Built
- 2015
- Airframe hours
- 161.2
- Engine
- Lycoming AEIO-360-B1G6, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Scott Morris
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Aerobatic
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 14, 2021 · 10.5 hours before
- Airport
- BTL · Battle Creek Exec At Kellogg Fld, runway 05L/23R, 10,004 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Onboard weather, 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 40
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 31, 2020
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 490.6 total · 12.2 in this make and model · 408.5 as pilot in command · 65.7 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 7, 2020
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,952 total · 181 in this make and model · 1,866 as pilot in command · 114 in the last 90 days · 57 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.11 inHg
- Observed at
- KBTL
- METAR
- KBTL 161953Z 20004KT 10SM CLR 26/11 A3011 RMK AO2 SLP193 T02560106
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 14, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 13.7 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.