- Date
- September 7, 2003, 10:15 local (16:15 UTC)
- Place
- Taos, NM
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N455RTWaco YMF-5
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 5, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Albuquerque FSDO
- FAA report
- 20030907025269A
- Case key
- 57937
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
the pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing roll which resulted in the subsequent ground loop/swerve and impact with the ditch.
Analysis
According to the pilot, after completing a "wheel landing" on runway 04, the airplane began to "fishtail." As he applied rudder control, the airplane's right wing dipped and the right main landing gear departed the right side of the runway. When he applied go-around power, the airplane departed the right side of the runway, and struck a ditch.
Factual narrative
On September 7, 2003, at 1015 mountain daylight time, a Waco YMF-5, N455RT, operated by the pilot, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain during a go-around at Taos Regional Airport (SKX), Taos, New Mexico. The private pilot, the sole occupant on board, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. No flight plan had been filed for this personal flight being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated at Santa Fe, New Mexico, at approximately 1000.
According to the pilot, after completing a "wheel landing" on runway 04, the airplane began to "fishtail." As he applied rudder control, the airplane's right wing dipped and the right main landing gear departed the right side of the runway. When he applied go-around power, the airplane departed the right side of the runway, and struck a ditch. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right main landing gear, right wing, and the firewall.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N455RT
- Reported as
- Waco YMF-5
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 0018
- Airframe hours
- 311
- Engine
- Jacobs R755B2W, 275 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Ret Butler Communications Corp.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 2003 · 1 hours before
- Departed
- SAF · Santa Fe, NM
- Destination
- SKX · Taos, NM
- Airport
- SKX · Taos Regional, runway 04, 5,798 × 75 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 64
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- November 6, 2002
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 4,272 total · 311 in this make and model · 4,221 as pilot in command · 36 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 90 ft broken
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.20 inHg
- Observed at
- KSKX
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.