- Date
- July 25, 2008, 15:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Grand Rapids, MN
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8668JCessna 150G
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 26, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 68757
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 landing. Contributing to the accident were the crosswind and wind gusts.
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 stated that during the landing approach to the runway 34, he was unable to obtain weather information from the airport's automated weather observing system (AWOS) because it was inoperative. The pilot then attempted a landing without checking "current conditions." During the landing, the airplane moved towards the right side of the runway and ground looped, which the pilot attributed to a left gusting crosswind. Post accident examination of the airplane revealed that the flaps were fully extended. The airplane sustained substantial damage, which included crushing of the left wing, bending of the horizontal stabilizer, and wrinkling of the fuselage forward of the empennage and below the aft cabin window. The pilot stated that he should have flown a low pass over the runway to check "current conditions." One of two windsocks at the airport was located about 1,000 feet down the runway. The airport's AWOS was operating at the time of the accident and recorded wind at 1735 from 290 degrees at 14 knots, gusting to 21 knots.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that during the landing approach to the runway 34 (5,755 feet by 100 feet, dry asphalt), he was unable to obtain weather information from the airport's automated weather observing system (AWOS) because it was inoperative. The pilot then attempted a landing without checking "current conditions." During the landing, the airplane moved towards the right side of the runway and ground looped, which the pilot attributed to a left gusting crosswind. Post accident examination of the airplane revealed that the flaps were fully extended. The airplane sustained substantial damage, which included crushing of the left wing, bending of the horizontal stabilizer, and wrinkling of the fuselage forward of the empennage and below the aft cabin window. The pilot was uninjured. The pilot stated that he should have flown a low pass over the runway to check "current conditions." One of two windsocks at the airport was located about 1,000 feet down the runway. The airport's AWOS was operating at the time of the accident and recorded wind at 1735 from 290 degrees at 14 knots gusting 21 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8668J
- Reported as
- Cessna 150G
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15066568
- Engine
- Continental O-200, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Pilot
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- Osage, MN
- Destination
- GPZ · Grand Rapids, MN
- Airport
- runway 34, 5,755 × 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
- 60
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 123 total · 77 in this make and model · 10 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 14 knots, gusting 21