- Date
- September 13, 2021, 09:47 local (13:47 UTC)
- Place
- Abingdon, VA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5644FAlon A2
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power)
- 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
- 20210913015649A
- Case key
- 103864
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 failure of a nosewheel steering actuator arm, which resulted in a loss of control during the landing rollout.
Findings · 1
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 during the landing rollout, as the nosewheel touched down, the airplane turned about 30° to the left. He applied right rudder; however, the airplane did not respond. As the airplane departed the runway into the wet grass, he applied the brakes, which “had little effect.” The airplane struck an embankment, nosed over, and sustained substantial damage to the horizontal and vertical stabilizers. Examination of the airplane revealed that one of the nosewheel steering actuator arms was fractured.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5644F
- Reported as
- Alon A2
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- A-244
- Built
- 1967
- Airframe hours
- 1,954
- Engine
- Continental C90-16F, 90 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 16, 2021
- Departed
- LHQ · Lancaster, OH
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- VJI · Virginia Highlands, runway 06, 4,471 × 75 ft, concrete
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS
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
- 68
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 24, 2020
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 3,150 total · 20 in this make and model · 36 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.33 inHg
- Observed at
- VJI
- METAR
- KVJI 131335Z AUTO 25004KT 10SM CLR 19/18 A3033 RMK AO2 T01930179
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 5, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 10.4 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.