- Date
- July 26, 2012, 14:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Houlton, ME
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8076EBayliss Milton A III X-AIR
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 9, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA Portland FSDO
- FAA report
- 20120726015399A
- Case key
- 84477
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 the landing flare in a gusting crosswind, which resulted in a runway excursion.
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 stated that, during the landing flare, he lost directional control of the airplane due to a crosswind. The airplane departed the left side of the runway and collided with the ground, sustaining substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported a variable-direction wind of 5 knots, gusting to 14 knots. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operations.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated he departed on a visual flight rules local flight. He returned to the airport and entered closed traffic for landing. During the landing flare, he lost directional control of the airplane due to a cross wind. The aircraft departed the left side of the runway and collided with the ground. During the accident sequence, the airplane incurred substantial damage to the fuselage. Wind gusts of 14 knots were reported at the time of the accident. The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operations.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8076E
- Reported as
- Bayliss Milton A III X-AIR
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 759
- Engine
- Rotax 582, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Bayliss Milton A III
- Registered owner
- Bayliss Milton A III
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Departed
- HUL · Houlton, ME
- Destination
- HUL · Houlton, ME
- Airport
- HUL · Houlton International Airport, runway 19, 2,760 × 60 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
- 77
- Injuries
- None
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,100 total · 600 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 5 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.63 inHg
- Observed at
- 1453
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 16, 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.