- Date
- April 9, 1996, 11:45 local (16:45 UTC)
- Place
- Roanoke, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N36953Aeronca 65-TAF
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 9, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960409007919A
- Case key
- 19807
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.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
During landing, the aircraft touched down on all three landing gear and bounced. Subsequently, the aircraft landed and ground looped separating the left main landing gear. The aircraft departed the right side of the runway, struck a fence and a retaining wall, and came to a stop up right. Both wing spars incurred damage.
Factual narrative
On April 9, 1996, about 1145 central daylight time, an Aeronca 65-TAF, N36953, registered to and operated by a private owner as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 flight, was substantially damaged during landing at Northwest Regional Airport, Roanoke, Texas. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the personal flight. The private pilot was not injured. The flight originated from Bridgeport, Texas, about 35 minutes prior to the accident.
The pilot reported to the FAA inspector and in the Pilot/Operator Report that while landing on runway 17, the aircraft touched down on all three landing gear and bounced. Subsequently, the aircraft landed and "ground looped" separating the left main landing gear. The aircraft departed the right side of the runway and the right wing struck a fence. As the aircraft "spun," the left wing struck a retaining wall, and the airplane then came to a stop up right, heading north. The right main landing gear had collapsed, and there was damage to both the left and right wing spars.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N36953
- Reported as
- Aeronca 65-TAF
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- F2611TA
- Airframe hours
- 4,388
- Engine
- Continental A-65-8, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Terry Cross
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 1, 1996 · 5 hours before
- Departed
- 1F9 · Bridgeport, TX
- Destination
- 52F
- Airport
- 52F · Northwest Regional, runway 17, 3,500 × 40 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 53
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 420 total · 27 in this make and model · 400 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- AFW, 7 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.