# NTSB ERA20CA293: Wag Aero Cubby, N30492, Pell City, AL, August 6, 2020 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Class 4 · Data collection · Final report - Date: August 6, 2020, 10:22 local (15:22 UTC) - Place: Pell City, AL - Coordinates: 33.558887, -86.249168 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.5589&lon=-86.2492&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control on ground](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 1 minor, 1 uninjured - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 101844 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA20CA293 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/101844/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=101844 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA20CA293 ## Probable cause The flight instructor’s inadequate remedial action following the student pilot’s loss of directional control during landing, which resulted in a runway excursion and subsequent nose over. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Performance/control parameters: directional control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Rivers Wayne Goodwin WAG-AERO CUBBY, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020/cases.md?model=056219V), [All aircraft, 3,958 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020/cases.md) - [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Student/instructed pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Rivers Wayne Goodwin WAG-AERO CUBBY, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=056219V), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md) - [Attention/monitoring: monitoring other person](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021535): Personnel issues › Psychological · Instructor/check pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Rivers Wayne Goodwin WAG-AERO CUBBY, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021535/cases.md?model=056219V), [All aircraft, 200 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021535/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control on ground](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230) (defining event); cases with it: [Rivers Wayne Goodwin WAG-AERO CUBBY, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230/sequence.md?model=056219V), [All aircraft, 4,585 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230/sequence.md) - [Landing-landing roll: Attempted remediation/recovery](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/060); cases with it: [Rivers Wayne Goodwin WAG-AERO CUBBY, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/060/sequence.md?model=056219V), [All aircraft, 1,422 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/060/sequence.md) - [Landing-landing roll: Runway excursion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300); cases with it: [Rivers Wayne Goodwin WAG-AERO CUBBY, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md?model=056219V), [All aircraft, 3,643 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md) - [Landing-landing roll: Nose over/nose down](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096); cases with it: [Rivers Wayne Goodwin WAG-AERO CUBBY, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096/sequence.md?model=056219V), [All aircraft, 2,287 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096/sequence.md) ## Analysis The flight instructor was providing initial flight training to the non-certificated student pilot in a tailwheel-equipped airplane. The flight instructor reported that while the student pilot was landing the airplane it began veering left immediately after touchdown. The flight instructor attempted to correct the yaw and applied the brakes, but the airplane continued off the left side of the runway with the tailwheel still in the air. The airplane impacted some dirt, which resulted in a nose over and substantial damage to the airplane’s left wing, empennage, vertical stabilizer, and rudder. The flight instructor reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Additionally, the flight instructor reported that the student pilot had accumulated about 2 hours of flight experience at the time of the accident and described that she, “…was showing great aptitude with landings but I should have delayed her attempting to do so to further in her training.” ## Aircraft - Registration: [N30492](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N30492-2021-10-18), registration cancelled 2021-10-18, S/N 9740, built 2007 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: WAG AERO CUBBY - Registry model: [Rivers Wayne Goodwin WAG-AERO CUBBY](https://openairdocs.org/model/rivers-wayne-goodwin-wag-aero-cubby) (registry code 056219V) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental A&C65 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-a-c65-series) (registry code 17003, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane, amateur-built - Serial number: 9740 - Year built: 2007 - Airframe hours: 268 - Engines: Continental C-65 65 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: Condition, April 2, 2020 - Departed: PLR, Pell City, AL - Destination: PLR, Pell City, AL - Airport: PLR, St Clair County, runway 03, 5,001 × 80 ft, asphalt - Equipment: Handheld GPS ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Flight instructor; age 51; injuries: minor; airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land, single-engine sea; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, with waivers/limitations; last flight review October 24, 2019; seat: rear; restraint: lap only; flight hours: 12,500 total, 30 in this make and model, 22 in the last 90 days, 12 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours - Student pilot; age 18; injuries: none; seat: front; restraint: lap only; flight hours: 2 total, 2 in this make and model ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: calm - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 84 °F, dew point 79 °F - Altimeter: 30.03 inHg - Observed at: PLR, 1 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Incident 20200806015519I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20200806015519I), Aug 6, 2020: Rivers Wayne Goodwin WAG-AERO CUBBY, Pell City, AL, Minor damage. Student landed on main gear but used excessive forward force on the stick in an attempt to hold the tail up. The instructor attempted to arrest the forward… ## Docket (4 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 19, 2021, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=101844. 1.2 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 9 pages, 689 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=10997254&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Pilots%206120%20Accident%20Report_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Record of conversation - flight instructor (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 165 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11198906&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Record%20of%20Conversation_Pilot-Rel.pdf - Flight instructor written statement (item 3, PDF, 1 page, 176 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11146984&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Memorandum%20for%20Record-Pilots%20Initial%20Report%20to%20FAA-Rel.pdf - Photo array (item 4, PDF, 2 pages, 153 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=10996920&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photo%20Array_Airplane%20Damage-Rel.pdf From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.