- Date
- April 10, 2021, 12:20 local (16:20 UTC)
- Place
- Bluefield, WV
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N257DRRowe Dennis A Highlander
- 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
- 20210410002399A
- Case key
- 102904
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 ground loop.
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 of the amateur-built, experimental, tailwheel airplane stated that during a cross-country flight, he diverted due to stronger than expected headwinds. He added that the touchdown on the runway at the diversion airport was normal until the airplane veered left after being struck by a strong gust of wind. The pilot attempted to correct with full right brake and full right rudder, but the right main landing gear collapsed and the right wing contacted the runway, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot also reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the airplane. The recorded wind at the airport, about 30 minutes after the accident, was a direct left crosswind at 8 knots, gusting to 20 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N257DR
- Reported as
- Rowe Dennis A Highlander
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- JA257-01-12
- Built
- 2020
- Airframe hours
- 51
- Engine
- Yamaha Apex, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · November 14, 2020 · 51 hours before
- Departed
- PN46 · Apollo, PA
- Destination
- CTJ · Carrollton, GA
- Airport
- BLF · Mercer County Airport, runway 23, 4,743 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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
- 54
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- BasicMed
- Last flight review
- February 22, 2021
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 306 total · 51 in this make and model · 240 as pilot in command · 36 in the last 90 days · 21 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 8 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,600 ft broken
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.88 inHg
- Observed at
- BLF
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 17, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.1 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.