- Date
- June 21, 2015, 11:15 local (18:15 UTC)
- Place
- Merrill, OR
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N939REErvin Rex H Bear Hawk
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 27, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- Portland FSDO (FAA)
- FAA report
- 20150621014029A
- Case key
- 91418
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, which resulted in a ground loop.
Findings · 3
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
According to the pilot, while on approach to a private grass air strip he observed the midfield wind sock indicating light and variable winds. After a normal approach and touch down, during the landing roll he encountered a strong crosswind from the right. Subsequently, the airplane began to swerve and then entered a ground loop to the left. During the ground loop, the right wing impacted the runway and the airplane came to rest. The pilot reported that after he exited the airplane, he observed a quartering tailwind at 15 miles per hour. The pilot stated there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The right wing and elevator were substantially damaged in the accident. The reported winds at an airport 5 nautical miles away about the time of the accident were from a variable direction at 3 knots.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, while on approach to a private grass air strip he observed the midfield wind sock indicating light and variable winds. After a normal approach and touch down, during the landing roll he encountered a strong crosswind from the right. Subsequently, the airplane began to swerve and then entered a ground loop to the left. During the ground loop, the right wing impacted the runway and the airplane came to rest. The pilot reported that after he exited the airplane, he observed a quartering tailwind at 15 miles per hour. The pilot stated there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The right wing and elevator were substantially damaged in the accident. The reported winds at an airport 5 nautical miles away about the time of the accident were from a variable direction at 3 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N939RE
- Reported as
- Ervin Rex H Bear Hawk (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 778
- Built
- 2015
- Airframe hours
- 64
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-EXP, 240 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · January 2, 2015
- Departed
- 3U2 · Yellow Pine, ID
- Destination
- NONE · Klamath Falls, OR
- Airport
- NONE · Ervin Private Airstrip, runway 32, 2,400 × 50 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display, Handheld GPS
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
- 75
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 9, 2015
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 6,000 total · 64 in this make and model · 6,000 as pilot in command · 64 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Turbulence
- Moderate
- Observed at
- KLMT, 5 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 10, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 633 KB 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.