- Date
- October 12, 2006, 22:00 local (Oct 13, 2006, 03:00 UTC)
- Place
- Fredricksburg, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N36687Aeronca 65-TAC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 31, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20061012028599A
- Case key
- 64763
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 compensate for the existing wind conditions. A contributing factor was the prevailing 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
The 1,019-hour private pilot lost control of the tailwheel-equipped airplane after encountering a wind shift while landing on runway 14. The pilot reported that after checking the automated weather service station and windsock at the arrival airport, he attempted to land the single-engine airplane with a prevailing right crosswind on the dry 5,002-foot long asphalt runway. The pilot reported holding the control inputs to correct for the crosswind and suddenly encountering a wind shift from the left. The pilot indicated in the accident report (NTSB Form 6120.1), that after the main wheels touched down, the left wing lifted and the nose of the airplane turned left into the wind. The airplane then exited the left side of the 75-foot wide runway and initiated a ground loop on the wet grass adjacent to the runway. The fuselage of the airplane sustained structural damage and the pilot and passenger were not injured. The automated weather observation station on the field reported scattered skies with 10 miles visibility, with winds from 270 degrees at 6 knots.
Factual narrative
The 1,019-hour private pilot lost control of the tailwheel-equipped airplane after encountering a wind shift while landing on runway 14. The pilot reported that after checking the automated weather service station and windsock at the arrival airport, he attempted to land the single-engine airplane with a prevailing right crosswind on the dry 5,002-foot long asphalt runway. The pilot reported holding the proper control inputs to correct for the crosswind and suddenly encountering a wind shift from the left. The pilot indicated in the accident report (NTSB Form 6120.1), that after the main wheels touched down, the left wing lifted and the nose of the airplane turned left into the wind. The airplane then exited the left side of the 75-foot wide runway and initiated a ground loop on the wet grass adjacent to the runway. The fuselage of the airplane sustained structural damage and the pilot and passenger were not injured. The automated weather observation station on the field reported scattered skies with 10 miles visibility, with winds from 270 degrees at 6 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N36687
- Reported as
- Aeronca 65-TAC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- L1141TA
- Airframe hours
- 2,520.6
- Engine
- Teledyne Continental A-65-8, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Donald Felps
- Registered owner
- American Airpower Heritage Fly Museum
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 2006
- Departed
- Sonora, TX
- Destination
- T82 · Fredricksburg, TX
- Airport
- T82 · Gillespie County, runway 14, 5,002 × 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
- 74
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 1, 2005
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,019 total · 16 in this make and model · 854 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.84 inHg
- Observed at
- T82
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.