- Date
- June 14, 2006, 10:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Cokeville, WY
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9709Grumman-Schweizer G-164A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 3, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards Field Office
- FAA report
- 20060614010139A
- Case key
- 63910
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 resulting in a ground loop. Contributing factors included the high winds and 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
According to the pilot, he was returning to the airport due to an approaching thunderstorm. During the landing roll the airplane encountered a gust of wind and ground looped. Both wings separated, the propeller was bent, and the horizontal stabilizer was crushed and wrinkled. The pilot reported no anomalies with the airframe or airplane systems. The routine aviation weather report reported, winds, 230 degrees at 25 knots, gusting 31 knots. The pilot estimated the gust of wind at 40 knots.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, he was returning to the airport due to an approaching thunderstorm. The pilot entered traffic for runway 15, and while on final, noticed that the wind had shifted to favor runway 33. During the landing roll to runway 33 (3,400 feet by 60 feet, asphalt), the airplane encountered a gust of wind and the airplane ground looped. Both wings separated, the propeller was bent, and the horizontal stabilizer was crushed and wrinkled. The pilot reported no anomalies with the airframe or airplane systems.
The closest official weather observation station was Uninta County Airport/Burns Field (EVW), Evanston, Wyoming, located 45 nautical miles south of the accident site. The routine aviation weather report (METAR) for EVW, issued at 1053, reported, winds, 230 degrees at 25 knots, gusting 31 knots. The pilot estimated the gust of wind at 40 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9709
- Reported as
- Grumman-Schweizer G-164A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1233
- Airframe hours
- 5,910
- Engine
- Honeywell TPE 331-2-201, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 2006
- Departed
- U06 · Cokeville, WY
- Destination
- U06 · Cokeville, WY
- Airport
- U06 · Cokeville Municipal Airport, runway 33, 3,400 × 60 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
- 50
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 1, 2006
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 10,913 total · 250 in this make and model · 10,713 as pilot in command · 200 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 10 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 25 knots, gusting 31
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.01 inHg
- Observed at
- EVW, 45 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N9709 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.