- Date
- May 7, 2013, 14:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Meriden, CT
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N418CMHughes Charles R Zodiac 601XL
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 29, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20130507009219A
- Case key
- 86845
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 decision to land with a tailwind and his failure to maintain aircraft control during landing.
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 he landed with a tailwind and that the airplane touched down farther down the runway than usual. When the pilot applied brakes to exit the runway onto the taxiway, the tires skidded, and the airplane pivoted to the left before coming to rest inverted. Postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to the left and right wings and to the vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane. He further stated that he was fatigued, had “rushed” the landing approach, and had not taken time to properly evaluate the wind conditions prior to landing.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he landed with a tailwind, and that the airplane touched down further down the runway than usual. When the pilot applied brakes to exit the runway onto the taxiway, the tires skidded and the airplane pivoted around to the left before coming to rest inverted. Postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to both left and right wings and the vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane. He further stated that he was fatigued, had “rushed” the landing approach, and had not taken time to properly evaluate the wind conditions prior to landing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N418CM
- Reported as
- Hughes Charles R Zodiac 601XL
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 6-6450
- Airframe hours
- 117
- Engine
- Jabiru 3300A, 107 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Hughes Charles R
- Registered owner
- Hughes Charles R
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · November 23, 2012
- Departed
- MMK · Meriden, CT
- Destination
- MMK · Meriden, CT
- Airport
- MMK · Meriden Markham Municipal, runway 36, 3,100 × 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
- 66
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 12, 2012
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 401 total · 84 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 8 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- MMK
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 30, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 7.7 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.