- Date
- July 20, 2011, 12:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Fryeburg, ME
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N52LKSky International A-1C-180
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 6, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110720014799A
- Case key
- 81166
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 while landing in gusty wind conditions.
Findings · 2
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 stated that he received a preflight weather briefing about 1 1/2 hours before departure, and the wind at his destination was reported to be calm or from the south at 8 to 10 knots. He departed and proceeded to his destination, where he reported that the windsock at the airport indicated a variable crosswind. He performed an approach to runway 14 and sensed a tailwind component, so he performed a go-around. He remained in the traffic pattern and selected runway 32. During the touchdown, the left wing raised and the airplane began to ground loop. The airplane veered off the right side of the runway and came to rest upright, sustaining substantial damage to the propeller, right landing gear, and right wing. The reported wind 54 minutes after the accident was variable from 190 to 250 degrees at 8 knots with gusts to 16 knots.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that he received a preflight weather briefing about 1.5 hours before departure, and the wind in the destination area was reported to be calm or from the south at 8 to 10 knots. He departed and proceeded to the destination airport, where he reported the windsock indicated a cross wind “…with variability.” He initiated an approach to runway 14 which seemed to have a tailwind component so he performed a go-around. He remained in the traffic pattern and initiated approach to runway 32. While on final approach he believed he had enough rudder but reported there must have been a gust. During landing the left wing raised and a ground loop began. The airplane veered to the right off the runway and came to rest upright. A surface weather observation taken at the accident airport approximately 54 minutes after the accident indicates the wind was variable from 190 to 250 degrees at 8 knots with gusts to 16 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N52LK
- Reported as
- Sky International A-1C-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 3086
- Airframe hours
- 97
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1P, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Laurence D. Ketner
- Registered owner
- Laurence D. Ketner
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 1, 2011
- Departed
- LEW · Auburn, ME
- Destination
- IZG · Fryeburg, ME
- Airport
- IZG · Eastern Slopes Regional Airpor, runway 32, 4,200 × 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
- 53
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 2, 2010
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,097 total · 68 in this make and model · 1,022 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 8 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.82 inHg
- Observed at
- IZG
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 14, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.3 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.