- Date
- April 1, 2015, 15:20 local (20:20 UTC)
- Place
- Middleton, WI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N777XXLancair LC 40 550FG
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 9, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20150401003299A
- Case key
- 90980
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. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's inadequate compensation for the crosswind 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
During a cross-country flight the pilot said he listened to the automated weather report a few miles west of his destination and noted crosswinds at 17 knots, gusting to 20 knots. The pilot continued the approach to landing and reported the touchdown was "uneventful," but during the landing roll a gust of wind rotated the nose 90 degrees into the crosswind. Subsequently, the airplane departed the runway surface and impacted a ditch adjacent to the runway, causing the nose wheel to collapse. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the engine firewall.
Factual narrative
During a cross-country flight the pilot said he listened to the automated weather report a few miles west of his destination and noted crosswinds at 17 knots, gusting to 20 knots. The pilot continued the approach to landing and reported the touchdown was "uneventful," but during the landing roll a gust of wind rotated the nose 90 degrees into the crosswind. Subsequently, the airplane departed the runway surface and impacted a ditch adjacent to the runway, causing the nose wheel to collapse. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the engine firewall.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N777XX
- Reported as
- Lancair LC 40 550FG (550FG)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 40058
- Built
- 2002
- Airframe hours
- 231
- Engine
- Cont Motor IO-550N2B, 310 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Ahmed Al-Niaimi
- Registered owner
- Ahmed Al-Niaimi
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 13, 2014
- Departed
- PDC · Prairie Du Chien, WI
- Destination
- C29 · Middleton, WI
- Airport
- C29 · Middleton Muni - Morey Field, runway 28, 4,000 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Onboard weather, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Stall warning system, Auto-pilot
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 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 6, 2014
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 229 total · 59 in this make and model · 142 as pilot in command · 52 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 17 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.84 inHg
- Turbulence
- Light
- Observed at
- KMSN, 9 nm away
Docket · 6
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 1, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.7 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.