- Date
- March 12, 2015, 11:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- St Marys, PA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7772JBoeing A75N1(PT17)
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 11, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- FAA report
- 20150312010619A
- Case key
- 90894
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 gusty crosswind, which resulted in a runway excursion and a nose over.
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/owner of the tailwheel-equipped biplane performed two low approaches prior to landing in order to "judge" the direction and speed of the wind. The pilot then performed a "wheel landing" to runway 10, a 4,300-foot-long, 75-foot-wide asphalt runway. However, by touchdown, the wind speed and direction had changed, which raised the left wing. The pilot corrected for the lifting of the wing, but the heading of the airplane diverged 10 to 15 degrees to the left of runway heading. At that point, the pilot elected to continue into the snow-covered apron, rather than struggle to maintain runway alignment, and risk the loss of aircraft control. The airplane's main landing gear "caught" as it entered the snow, the airplane nosed over, and came to rest inverted with substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer. The pilot stated that there were no preimpact mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The recorded wind at the airport, about the time of the accident, was from 010 degrees at 9 knots, gusting to 16 knots.
Factual narrative
The pilot/owner of the tailwheel-equipped biplane performed two low approaches prior to landing in order to "judge" the direction and speed of the wind. The pilot then performed a "wheel landing" to runway 10, a 4,300-foot-long, 75-foot-wide asphalt runway. However, by touchdown, the wind speed and direction had changed, which raised the left wing. The pilot corrected for the lifting of the wing, but the heading of the airplane diverged 10 to 15 degrees to the left of runway heading. At that point, the pilot elected to continue into the snow-covered apron, rather than struggle to maintain runway alignment, and risk the loss of aircraft control. The airplane's main landing gear "caught" as it entered the snow, the airplane nosed over, and came to rest inverted with substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer. The pilot stated that there were no preimpact mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The recorded wind at the airport, about the time of the accident, was from 010 degrees at 9 knots, gusting to 16 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7772J
- Reported as
- Boeing A75N1(PT17)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 75-8175
- Built
- 1943
- Airframe hours
- 3,650
- Engine
- Continental W670, 220 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Cox David L
- Registered owner
- Cox David L
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 6, 2014 · 16 hours before
- Departed
- AXQ · Clarion, PA
- Destination
- OYM · St Marys, PA
- Airport
- OYM · St Marys Muni, runway 10, 4,300 × 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
- 64
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,851 total · 47 in this make and model · 1,851 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 9 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 37 °F, dew point 12 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.54 inHg
- Observed at
- OYM
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 28, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 7.8 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.
Other investigations on N7772J · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.