- Date
- August 6, 2011, 13:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Farmingdale, NY
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N723ADDidier Siffer Arion Lightning
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 17, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110806015759A
- Case key
- 81407
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 a strong quartering crosswind.
Findings · 3
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
According to the pilot, during touchdown on the runway, a gust of wind struck the right side of the airplane, and the left wing struck the ground. The airplane subsequently veered to the left and the pilot attempted to regain directional control with aileron inputs. The airplane departed the left side of the runway, struck an airport sign and came to rest in a grassy area. During the accident sequence, the airplane incurred substantial damage to the empennage and left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preexisting mechanical anomalies with the airplane. The pilot landed with a 14-knot quartering crosswind, gusting to 17 knots.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, he completed a traffic-pattern approach to runway 19 and touched down on the main landing gear. While the nose landing gear was still in the air, a gust of wind struck the right side of the airplane, lifting the right wing, which resulted in the left wing striking the ground. The airplane subsequently veered to the left and the pilot attempted to regain directional control with aileron inputs. The airplane departed the left side of the runway, struck an airport sign and came to rest in a grassy area. During the accident sequence, the airplane incurred substantial damage to the empennage and left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preexisting mechanical anomalies with the airplane. He also reported a total flight experience of 91 hours; of which, 6 hours were in the same make and model as the accident airplane. The winds reported at the airport about the time of the accident were from 210 degrees at 14 knots and gusting to 17 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N723AD
- Reported as
- Didier Siffer Arion Lightning
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 00115
- Airframe hours
- 50
- Engine
- Jabiru 33A 2345, 120 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Didier Siffer
- Registered owner
- Didier Siffer
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · May 31, 2011
- Departed
- HGR · Hagerstown, MD
- Destination
- FRG · Farmingdale, NY
- Airport
- FRG · Republic Airport, runway 19, 5,516 × 150 ft, concrete
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
- 46
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 11, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 91 total · 6 in this make and model · 36 as pilot in command · 16 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 14 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- FRG
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 7, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.7 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.