- Date
- March 8, 2003, 10:17 local (16:17 UTC)
- Place
- Cahokia, IL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N96033Aviat A-1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 25, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA St. Louis, MO FSDO
- FAA report
- 20030308005379A
- Case key
- 56710
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 inadequate compensation for wind and his failure to maintain directional control of the airplane which resulted in a ground loop. A factor associated with the accident was the gusty crosswind condition.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The airplane experienced a landing gear collapse following a loss of directional control while landing on runway 12R at the St. Louis Downtown Airport, Cahokia, Illinois. The pilot reported the wind shifted during the landing and the airplane swerved on the runway. He stated he added a little power to straighten out the airplane, but he "ran out" of aileron authority. The airplane continued off the runway where the landing gear collapsed. The local winds reported at CPS, at 0853, were 180 degrees at 11 knots, gusting to 16 knots. At 0953, the winds were 180 degrees at 9 knots, gusting to 18 knots, and at 1053, the winds were from 200 degrees at 15 knots, gusting to 22 knots. The maximum demonstrated crosswind component for the airplane is 15 miles per hour.
Factual narrative
On March 8, 2003, at 1017 central standard time, an Aviat, A-1 Husky, N96033, experienced a landing gear collapse following a loss of directional control while landing on runway 12R (6,997 feet by 100 feet, asphalt) at the St. Louis Downtown Airport (CPS), Cahokia, Illinois. The private pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The flight originated from Creve Coeur, Missouri, at 0945.
The pilot reported the wind shifted during the landing and the airplane swerved on the runway. He stated he added a little power to straighten out the airplane, but he "ran out" of aileron authority. The airplane continued off the runway where the landing gear collapsed.
The local winds reported at CPS, at 0853, were 180 degrees at 11 knots, gusting to 16 knots. At 0953, the winds were 180 degrees at 9 knots, gusting to 18 knots, and at 1053, the winds were from 200 degrees at 15 knots, gusting to 22 knots.
According to the Aviat, the maximum demonstrated crosswind component for the A-1 Husky is 15 miles per hour.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N96033
- Reported as
- Aviat A-1
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1127
- Airframe hours
- 630
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-C1G, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- John B. Brnjac
- Registered owner
- TBF Group LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 22, 2002 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- 1HO · Creve Coeur, MO
- Destination
- CPS · Cahokia, IL
- Airport
- CPS · St. Louis Downtown Airport, runway 12R, 6,997 × 100 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
- 54
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- October 22, 2001
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 222 total · 47 in this make and model · 163 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 9 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.79 inHg
- Observed at
- CPS
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.