- Date
- May 26, 2012, 11:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Farmingdale, NJ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4895APiper PA-18A 150
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Runway excursion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 9, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20120526011829A
- Case key
- 83808
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 loss of directional control during the landing roll, which resulted in a runway excursion.
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
The pilot stated that he was landing the tailwheel-equipped airplane in gusty, crosswind conditions. During the landing roll, the airplane encountered a gust of wind and "weathervaned" to the right. The pilot applied left rudder, but the airplane continued right, traveled off the side of the runway, and ground looped, resulting in substantial damage to the right wing. The operator reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Postaccident examination of the airplane also revealed no anomalies.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that he was landing the tailwheel-equipped airplane in gusty, crosswind conditions. During the landing roll, the airplane encountered a gust of wind and "weathervaned" to the right. The pilot applied rudder to correct, but the airplane continued right, traveled off the side of the runway, and ground looped, resulting in substantial damage to the right wing. The operator reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Postaccident examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector also revealed no anomalies.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4895A
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18A 150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-4997
- Airframe hours
- 8,782
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- High Exposure Inc
- Registered owner
- High Exposure Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 7, 2012
- Departed
- OBI · Woodbine, NJ
- Destination
- BLM · Farmingdale, NJ
- Airport
- BLM · Monmouth Executive Airport, runway 32, 7,371 × 85 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
- 38
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 18, 2011
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 460 total · 18 in this make and model · 66 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 7 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.15 inHg
- Observed at
- BLM
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 31, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.7 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.