- Date
- May 21, 2008, 13:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Columbus, OH
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1387CColumbia Aircraft Mfg. LC41-550FG
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Columbus, OH, FSDO
- FAA report
- 20080521839929A
- Case key
- 68169
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 not maintaining directional control during the landing. Contributing to the accident were the gusty crosswinds and the airport sign that was impacted.
Findings · 5
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 had flown a cross country flight on an instrument flight rules flight plan. The pilot reported that while on approach he picked up recorded weather which was "winds from 310 at 9 gusting to 15, 10 miles visibility, a few clouds at 9,500’ and altimeter 29.63" and that he was cleared to land on runway 27L. The pilot asked for a wind check and the tower reported the wind as "from 300 at 20 with no mention of gusts." The pilot used full flaps during the landing and reported an indicated airspeed of 95-100 knots. He reported that during the flare he experienced "normal ground-effect 'turbulence'" and "focused on maintaining the centerline and allowing airspeed to bleed off to land smoothly." He stated that immediately upon touchdown, the airplane began veering about 20 degrees to the left. He said that he tried to correct with right rudder only. The pilot said that he "determined that more aggressive correction was unsafe and instead decided to exit the runway into the grassy area between the runway and the airport ramp area." The airplane's left wing struck a runway light and then the 3,000 feet remaining sign.
Factual narrative
The pilot had flown a cross country flight on an instrument flight rules flight plan. The pilot reported that while on approach he picked up recorded weather which was "winds from 310 at 9 gusting to 15, 10 miles visibility, a few clouds at 9,500’ and altimeter 29.63" and that he was cleared to land on runway 27L. The pilot asked for a wind check and the tower reported the wind as "from 300 at 20 with no mention of gusts." The pilot used full flaps during the landing and reported an indicated airspeed of 95-100 knots. He reported that during the flare he experienced "normal ground-effect 'turbulence'" and "focused on maintaining the centerline and allowing airspeed to bleed off to land smoothly." He stated that immediately upon touchdown, the airplane began veering about 20 degrees to the left. He said that he tried to correct with right rudder only. The pilot said that he "determined that more aggressive correction was unsafe and instead decided to exit the runway into the grassy area between the runway and the airport ramp area." The airplane's left wing struck a runway light and then the 3,000 feet remaining sign.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1387C
- Reported as
- Columbia Aircraft Mfg. LC41-550FG
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 41672
- Airframe hours
- 360
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-550-C9, 310 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- John H. Taylor
- Registered owner
- N1387 LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 1, 2007
- Departed
- N07 · Lincoln Park, NJ
- Destination
- Columbus, OH
- Flight plan
- IFR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 55
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 1, 2008
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,075 total · 270 in this make and model · 974 as pilot in command · 41 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 9 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.62 inHg
- Observed at
- OSU
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.