- Date
- October 17, 2013, 13:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Slatington Airport, PA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N305CRCessna 305A
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 19, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20131017021949A
- Case key
- 88236
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 inadequate compensation for the wind conditions during landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to land with a tailwind condition and the airfield's inaccurate windsock.
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
According to the pilot, the airplane was on a stabilized approach to runway 1. During the landing flare the airplane began drifting to the right. The pilot stated that he applied left rudder to compensate for the drift. Upon touchdown, the pilot applied the brakes and the airplane flipped upside down with the tail lifting up first. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed substantial damage to the fuselage and vertical stabilizer. The FAA inspector also noted that the airfield wind sock had not been properly maintained and was not accurate. Wheel brake continuity was verified by the FAA inspector during postcrash inspection. The reported wind at Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE), Allentown, Pennsylvania, about 10 nautical miles to the southeast of the accident site, was from 200 degrees at 5 knots. The pilot did not report any pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, the airplane was on a stabilized approach to runway 01. During the landing flare the airplane began drifting to the right. The pilot stated that he applied left rudder to compensate for the drift. Upon touchdown, the pilot applied the brakes and the airplane flipped upside down with the tail lifting up first. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed substantial damage to the fuselage and vertical stabilizer. The FAA inspector also noted that the airfield wind sock had not been properly maintained and was not accurate. Wheel brake continuity was verified by the FAA inspector during postcrash inspection. The reported wind at Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE), Allentown, Pennsylvania, about 10 nautical miles to the southeast of the accident site, was from 200 degrees at 5 knots. The pilot did not report any pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N305CR
- Reported as
- Cessna 305A (A)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 21483
- Built
- 1950
- Airframe hours
- 8,292
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-470 SERIES, 213 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Three Point Aviation
- Registered owner
- Three Point Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 14, 2013 · 19 hours before
- Departed
- 71N · Sunbury, PA
- Destination
- 69N · Slatington Airport, PA
- Airport
- 69N · Slatington Airport, runway 01, 2,455 × 50 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
- 60
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight engineer
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 27, 2013
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 19,000 total · 13.5 in this make and model · 11,500 as pilot in command · 77 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,300 ft broken
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.86 inHg
- Observed at
- ABE, 10 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 4, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.2 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.