- Date
- June 27, 1997, 17:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Clovis, NM
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1754APiper PA-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 9, 1999
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970627016169A
- Case key
- 20259
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 aircraft control. A factor was an unexpected gust of wind during landing touch down.
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
The pilot reported that he was practicing touch and go landings. He reported that during the third landing, a gust of wind caught the tail wheel as it touched down, turning the aircraft to the left. He tried to increase power to lift off but 'was out of control.' Subsequently, the left wing struck a fence, and the aircraft 'cart wheeled.' The pilot reported that the winds were from the south at 2 knots and that the gust of wind was 'unexpected.' A nearby weather facility, reported the winds to be from 190 degrees at 10 knots.
Factual narrative
On June 27, 1997, approximately 1730 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-18 airplane, N1754A, was substantially damaged following a loss of control during landing at a private airstrip, near Clovis, New Mexico. The commercial pilot, sole occupant, was not injured. No flight plan was filed and visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight.
The pilot reported, via a statement in NTSB form 6120.1/2, that he was doing touch and go landings on runway 36. He reported that during the third landing, a gust of wind caught the tail wheel equipped airplane as it touched down, turning the aircraft to the left. He tried to increase power to lift off but "was out of control." Subsequently, the left wing struck a fence, and the aircraft "cart wheeled", resulting in structural damage to both wings and the fuselage.
The pilot reported the steady state winds to be from the south at 2 knots and that the gust of wind was "unexpected." A nearby weather reported facility (AWOS), located at Clovis Municipal Airport, reported the winds to be from 190 degrees at 10 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1754A
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-318
- Airframe hours
- 1,323
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Ted Stallings
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 30, 1997 · 16 hours before
- Departed
- NM42
- Airport
- NM42 · Aero Tech, runway 36, 3,000 × 150 ft, grass/turf
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
- 39
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 17,158 total · 1,000 in this make and model · 17,158 as pilot in command · 70 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Observed at
- CVN
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 N1754A · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.