- Date
- January 8, 2023, 15:08 local (20:08 UTC)
- Place
- Ridgeland, SC
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N61TWWeiss Theodore T RV-8
- 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
- 20230108002319A
- Case key
- 106967
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 the landing roll.
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
According to the pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane, he planned to perform a touch-and-go landing, and proceeded with a “wheel landing.” During rollout, with both main wheels on the runway, “an unpredictable and unknown force” caused the airplane to depart the right side of the runway. The airplane continued toward runway signage, and the pilot applied engine power to avoid it, which resulted in the airplane’s “ground loop to the right.” The airplane’s right wing and propeller struck the ground which resulted in substantial damage to the wing and fuselage. Weather reported 14 miles south of the accident site at the time of the accident included clear skies and calm winds. The pilot reported there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N61TW
- Reported as
- Weiss Theodore T RV-8
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 80428
- Built
- 2004
- Airframe hours
- 30
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-B1E, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · October 11, 2022
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- 3J1 · Ridgeland - Claude Dean, runway 36, 4,200 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Angle of attack indicator, Auto-pilot, Electronic multifunction display, Onboard weather
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
- 30
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 150 total · 25 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.21 inHg
- Observed at
- KNBC, 14 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KNBC 081956Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 18/07 A3021 RMK AO2 SLP228 T01830072=
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 24, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.2 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.
Other investigations on N61TW · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.