- Date
- November 14, 2020, 10:57 local (16:57 UTC)
- Place
- Milton, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N311SVVans RV4
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- 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
- FAA report
- 20201114014999A
- Case key
- 102312
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 during a crosswind landing.
Findings · 3
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 was landing the tailwheel-equipped airplane and reported that on final approach the wind increased from calm to a quartering left crosswind at 9 knots. During the landing roll, a gust of wind pushed the airplane to the left. The pilot applied rudder and brakes, but the airplane skidded sideways on the runway resulting in a ground loop. During the accident sequence the left main landing gear collapsed and the left wing impacted the runway. The airplane’s engine mount was also substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N311SV
- Reported as
- Vans RV4
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1054
- Built
- 2002
- Airframe hours
- 861
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D2A, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · July 6, 2020
- Departed
- 82J · Pensacola, FL
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- 2R4 · Peter Prince Field, runway 18, 3,701 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Data recorder, Auto-pilot, ADS-B, Electronic multifunction display
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
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 12, 2020
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,537 total · 112 in this make and model · 1,537 as pilot in command · 63 in the last 90 days · 19 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.05 inHg
- Observed at
- PNS, 14 nm away
- METAR
- KPNS 141853Z 11009KT 10SM CLR 24/16 A3005 RMK AO2 SLPNO T02440161 $
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 24, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.5 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.