- Date
- August 28, 2015, 15:23 local (20:23 UTC)
- Place
- Welsh, LA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8761HGrumman American Avn. G 164A
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 5, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- BATON ROUGE FSDO (FAA)
- FAA report
- 20150828015189A
- Case key
- 91940
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 runway excursion and a ground loop.
Findings · 2
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 reported that he was practicing takeoffs and landings in a tailwheel equipped biplane. During the landing roll, the pilot stated that as the tailwheel touched down, the nose of the airplane veered sharply to the left. The pilot attempted to correct with right rudder, but the airplane exited the runway surface and ground looped. During the ground loop, the airplane nosed forward and the top right side of the wing impacted the terrain. The right top wing was substantially damaged. The pilot stated there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he was practicing takeoffs and landings in a tailwheel equipped biplane. During the landing roll, the pilot stated that as the tailwheel touched down, the nose of the airplane veered sharply to the left. The pilot attempted to correct with right rudder, but the airplane exited the runway surface and ground looped. During the ground loop, the airplane nosed forward and the top right side of the wing impacted the terrain. The right top wing was substantially damaged. The pilot stated there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8761H
- Reported as
- Grumman American Avn. G 164A (A)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1516
- Built
- 1976
- Airframe hours
- 1,457
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney 985 14B, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Gulf Coast Air
- Registered owner
- Lejeune Aerial Applications LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 8, 2015
- Departed
- 6R1 · Welsh, LA
- Destination
- 6R1 · Welsh, LA
- Airport
- 6R1 · Welsh, runway 25, 2,700 × 50 ft, asphalt
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
- 46
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 9, 2014
- Seat
- Center
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 525 total · 50 in this make and model · 4 as pilot in command · 80 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.97 inHg
- Observed at
- 3R7, 8 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 29, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.9 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.
Other investigations on N8761H · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.