- Date
- June 27, 2001, 10:47 local (16:47 UTC)
- Place
- Bryce Canyon, UT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N872CCPiper PA-18-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 1, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20010627015949A
- Case key
- 52731
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. A contributing factor was the crosswind.
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
As the pilot approached the airport, he monitored the ASOS frequency and learned the winds were from 120 degrees at 12 knots. The airport had only one asphalt runway, 03-21. These conditions presented a direct 90 degree crosswind. The pilot made a touch and go landing on runway 03, turned around, and landed on runway 21. During the landing roll, the airplane swerved to the left, due to a "possible gust of wind or [the] pilot was too slow in rudder correction." He then applied "hard right rudder," and the airplane responded with a "rapid turn to the right" that he was unable to counter. The left wing struck the runway, causing main spar damage.
Factual narrative
On June 27, 2001, at 1047 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-18-150, N872CC, registered to and operated by the pilot, was substantially damaged when it collided with terrain during landing at Bryce Canyon Airport, Bryce Canyon, Utah. The private pilot, the only occupant aboard, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the personal flight being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated from Richfield, Utah, approximately 1010.
The pilot had just purchased the newly built airplane, and was ferrying it back to his home in California. According to his accident report, he departed Eden, Utah, at 0630; Morgan, Utah, at 0800, and Richfield, Utah, at 1010. As he approached Bryce Canyon, he monitored the ASOS (Automated Surface Observing System) frequency. The winds were reported to be from 120 degrees at 12 knots. Bryce Canyon Airport has only a single asphalt runway, 03-21. The pilot said these conditions presented a direct 90 degree crosswind. He made a touch and go landing on runway 03, turned around, and landed on runway 21. During the landing roll, the airplane swerved to the left, due to a "possible gust of wind or [the] pilot was too slow in rudder correction." He then applied "hard right rudder," and the airplane responded with a "rapid turn to the right" that he was unable to counter. The left wing struck the runway, incurring main spar damage.
The pilot originally reported the damage to be minor. FAA issued a ferry permit, but the ferry pilot refused to fly the airplane, citing the wing spar damage. The mishap was then upgraded to an accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N872CC
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 9929CC
- Airframe hours
- 27
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-C4P, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Scott J. Kaats
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 15, 2001 · 22 hours before
- Departed
- RIF · Richfield, UT
- Destination
- BCE · Bryce Canyon, UT
- Airport
- BCE · Bryce Canyon, runway 21, 7,400 × 75 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
- 44
- Injuries
- None
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- March 18, 2000
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 596 total · 23 in this make and model · 458 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 14 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.40 inHg
- Observed at
- BCE
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.