- Date
- October 7, 2023, 20:30 UTC
- Place
- Harrisonburg, VA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N13BFAviat A-1C-180
- 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
- 20231007016609A
- Case key
- 193224
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 inadequate compensation for the prevailing wind conditions, which resulted in a loss of control and subsequent runway excursion.
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 was returning to his home airport, and prior to landing, he received an automated weather briefing noting a 90-degree crosswind that was from 320 degrees at 12 knots, with gusts. The runway in use was runway 05, and a preceding aircraft reported a direct crosswind. The initial approach and landing were uneventful. When the airplane touched down and all three wheels were on the ground, an unexpected gust of wind lifted the left wing and started pushing the airplane towards the right. The airplane exited the runway into the grass. The wind then lifted the tail of the airplane and it nosed over onto the vertical stabilizer. The fuselage and empennage of the airplane were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane, that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N13BF
- Reported as
- Aviat A-1C-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 3021
- Built
- 2008
- Airframe hours
- 1,004
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1P, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 2, 2023 · 47 hours before
- Departed
- 8W2 · New Market, VA
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- SHD · Shenandoah Valley Rgnl, runway 05, 6,002 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 43
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 772 total · 249 in this make and model · 731 as pilot in command · 31 in the last 90 days · 21 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 15 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.88 inHg
- Observed at
- KSHD
- METAR
- METAR KSHD 072015Z AUTO 32015G19KT 10SM CLR 16/00 A2988 RMK AO2 T01621001
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 29, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.2 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 N13BF · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.