- Date
- August 21, 2023, 14:56 local (19:56 UTC)
- Place
- Rice, MN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N943QCSchweizer G-164B
- 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
- FAA report
- 20230821009969A
- Case key
- 192918
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 the landing roll with a left crosswind.
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 performed a straight in landing to a private airstrip. He anticipated a crosswind from the east, so he made the approach with additional airspeed to have more controllability in the crosswind. He stated that he landed about two thirds of the way down the 2,574 ft runway, reduced power, and reduced the propeller pitch to low. The tailwheel settled to the ground at a location on the runway where there was a break in the adjacent tree line. The pilot reported that the crosswind intensified at this point, and the airplane yawed to the left. The left main landing gear exited the paved portion of the runway. The pilot attempted to correct with rudder and brakes; however, the airplane continued off the runway and into a plowed field. The airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted in the field. The vertical stabilizer was substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. At the time of the accident, wind at an airport 12 nm northwest of the accident site was 090°at 8 knots. The pilot was landing to the south.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N943QC
- Reported as
- Schweizer G-164B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 711B
- Built
- 1983
- Engine
- Pratt and Whitney R1340, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- Fort Ripley, MN
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- NA · Oleen AG Air, runway 18, 2,574 × 20 ft, gravel
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 64
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 6, 2022
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 8,687 total · 7,500 in this make and model · 8,617 as pilot in command · 155 in the last 90 days · 150 in the last 30 days · 15 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 9 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.17 inHg
- Observed at
- KLXL, 12 nm away
- METAR
- KLXL 211955Z AUTO 11010KT 073V133 10SM OVC045 25/18 A3017
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 10, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.1 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.
Other investigations on N943QC · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.