- Date
- March 13, 2015, 17:40 local (23:40 UTC)
- Place
- Afton, WY
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- C-FTADAviat A1 - B
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 13, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- Case key
- 90875
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.
Findings · 4
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 flying a cross-country flight under visual flight rules in a tailwheel equipped airplane. During the final approach to a full stop landing, the pilot reported that he flared too high and as a result the airplane bounced and veered to the right. The pilot applied left rudder but was unable to stop the airplane from departing the runway to the right. During the runway excursion the airplane impacted a snow pile adjacent to the runway and nosed over. The pilot reported that he typically lands on soft runway surfaces less than 2,000 ft. in length and suspected that his perception during the flare may have been impacted while landing on this 7,025 ft. runway. The pilot did not observe any preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the airplane and the winds were reporting calm during the time of the accident. Examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the right wing.
Factual narrative
The pilot was flying a cross-country flight under visual flight rules in a tailwheel equipped airplane. During the final approach to a full stop landing, the pilot reported that he flared too high and as a result the airplane bounced and veered to the right. The pilot applied left rudder but was unable to stop the airplane from departing the runway to the right. During the runway excursion the airplane impacted a snow pile adjacent to the runway and nosed over. The pilot reported that he typically lands on soft runway surfaces less than 2,000 ft. in length and suspected that his perception during the flare may have been impacted while landing on this 7,025 ft. runway. The pilot did not observe any preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the airplane and the winds were reporting calm during the time of the accident. Examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the right wing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- C-FTAD
- Reported as
- Aviat A1 - B (B)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2177
- Built
- 2001
- Airframe hours
- 701
- Engine
- Textron Lycoming 0-360-A1P, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Douglass Miller Tadman
- Registered owner
- Douglass Miller Tadman
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 10, 2015 · 8 hours before
- Departed
- GTF · Great Falls, MT
- Destination
- AFO · Afton, WY
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- AFO · Afton Muni, runway 34, 7,025 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Satellite tracking device, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Handheld GPS
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 67
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Private, Foreign
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 1,207 total · 449 in this make and model · 1,105 as pilot in command · 14 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.39 inHg
- Observed at
- AFO
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 28, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 401 KB in all.