- Date
- October 1, 2021, 15:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Pottstown, PA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N329CCCulp John S Culps Specl Sopwith
- 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
- 20211001017889A
- Case key
- 104036
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 landing, which resulted in a ground loop.
Findings · 2
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 recently purchased the experimental, amateur-built, free-castering tailwheel airplane. He had completed nine takeoffs and landings uneventfully on the day of the accident. During the tenth landing, as the tail touched down, the airplane turned left. The pilot tried to correct with full right rudder and right brake application; however, the airplane continued to travel left, and ground looped on the runway, resulting in substantial damage to the left wing. Examination of the wreckage by a mechanic did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions, nor did the pilot report any.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N329CC
- Reported as
- Culp John S Culps Specl Sopwith
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1009
- Built
- 2005
- Airframe hours
- 216
- Engine
- Vendenayer M-14P, 360 hp, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · June 1, 2021 · 13 hours before
- Airport
- PTW · Heritage Field, runway 28, 3,371 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 56
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 1, 2021
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 13,182 total · 3 in this make and model · 12,830 as pilot in command · 115 in the last 90 days · 68 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot-rated passenger
- Age
- 49
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 5,250 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.23 inHg
- Observed at
- PTW
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 31, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.0 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.