- Date
- June 28, 2008, 15:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Pueblo, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2879TChristen Industries A-1
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 26, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20080628839319I
- Case key
- 68391
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 wind gust and tailwind.
Findings · 4
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 reported that while landing his tailwheel-equipped airplane to runway 25 a strong quartering tailwind caused the airplane to swerve to the left. In an attempt to arrest the swerve, the pilot applied full right rudder and right brake. As the airplane responded back to the right, the left wing impacted a fence post. Subsequently, the airplane nosed over and came to rest in an inverted position. The airplane's wing strut was bent during the mishap. Approximately 23 minutes after the accident, a weather reporting station located 17 miles northeast of the accident site, reported winds from 70 degrees at 16 knots gusting to 24 knots. The pilot did not report any pre-impact mechanical malfunction or failure with the airplane.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that while landing his tailwheel-equipped airplane to runway 25 a strong quartering tailwind caused the airplane to swerve to the left. In an attempt to arrest the swerve, the pilot applied full right rudder and right brake. As the airplane responded back to the right, the left wing impacted a fence post. Subsequently, the airplane nosed over and came to rest in an inverted position. The airplane's wing strut was bent during the mishap. Approximately 23 minutes after the accident, a weather reporting station located 17 miles northeast of the accident site, reported winds from 70 degrees at 16 knots gusting to 24 knots. The pilot did not report any pre-impact mechanical malfunction or failure with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2879T
- Reported as
- Christen Industries A-1
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1009
- Airframe hours
- 6,276
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-C1G, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 1, 2008
- Departed
- PUB · Pueblo, CO
- Destination
- 99CO · Pueblo, CO
- Airport
- 99CO · Rock Creek Airport, runway 25, 1,500 × 50 ft, grass/turf
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
- 49
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 1, 2006
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 275 total · 27 in this make and model · 30 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 70° at 16 knots, gusting 24
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 7,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.25 inHg
- Observed at
- PUB, 17 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.