- Date
- February 21, 2020, 12:15 local (17:15 UTC)
- Place
- Frederick, MD
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N71GCOrlican L60
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 27, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20200221000369A
- Case key
- 100976
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 airplane control during the approach, which resulted in the airplane ballooning and then veering left upon landing and the right wing impacting the runway.
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 was practicing landings as part of a check-out flight. During the final approach, the airplane ballooned slightly, which the pilot attributed to a wind gust. He flared the balloon and then touched down, and the airplane began to veer left. He attempted to correct with full right rudder, right brake, and left aileron. As the airplane came to a stop on the runway, the right main landing gear buckled, and the right wing struck the runway. The airport's automated weather observation station reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was calm; however, the pilot reported that, after he egressed from the airplane, he saw that the windsock indicated a crosswind. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that the airplane was in the process of being purchased from the previous owner, and the purpose of the flight was to practice landings as part of a check-out flight. During the second landing on runway 05, the airplane ballooned slightly during the flare, which the pilot attributed to a wind gust. After touchdown, the airplane began to veer left. He attempted to correct with full right rudder, right brake and left aileron, but he was unsuccessful. As the airplane came to a stop on the runway, the right main landing gear buckled, and the right wing struck the runway, which resulted in substantial damage. The airport's automated weather observation station reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was calm; however, the pilot reported that after he egressed from the airplane, he observed that the windsock indicated a crosswind. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N71GC
- Reported as
- Orlican L60 (SF)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 150827
- Built
- 1958
- Airframe hours
- 3,925
- Engine
- Walter M462RF, 315 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Deutsch American Trading Llc
- Registered owner
- Deutsch American Trading Llc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · December 17, 2019
- Departed
- FDK · Frederick, MD
- Destination
- FDK · Frederick, MD
- Airport
- FDK · Frederick Muni, runway 05, 5,219 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- None
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
- 57
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 4, 2019
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,024 total · 1 in this make and model · 1,003 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 34 °F, dew point 9 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.54 inHg
- Observed at
- FDK
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 16, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.1 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.