- Date
- October 12, 2015, 17:17 local (22:17 UTC)
- Place
- San Marcos, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N165DRFurgason James E Vans RV 4
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 17, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- San Antonio FSDO (FAA)
- FAA report
- 20151012020969A
- Case key
- 92197
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 loss of directional control during the landing roll in crosswind conditions, which resulted in a runway excursion and an impact with an airport sign.
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
The pilot of a tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that during the landing roll, traveling about 45 to 55 knots, he encountered a crosswind. The airplane veered off the runway to the left into the wind and collided with a taxiway sign. The airplane came to a stop in grass adjacent to the runway. The fuselage sustained substantial damage. The pilot stated there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. About the time of the accident, a routine aviation weather report at the airport reported the wind at 190 degrees true at 12 knots and the runway heading was 260 degrees magnetic, which resulted in an 11 knot crosswind component.
Factual narrative
The pilot of a tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that during the landing roll, traveling about 45 to 55 knots, he encountered a crosswind. The airplane veered off the runway to the left into the wind and collided with a taxiway sign. The airplane came to a stop in grass adjacent to the runway. The fuselage sustained substantial damage. The pilot stated there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. METEORLOGICAL INFORMATION About the time of the accident, a routine aviation weather report at the airport reported the wind at 190 degrees true at 12 knots and the runway heading was 260 degrees magnetic, which resulted in an 11 knot crosswind component.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N165DR
- Reported as
- Furgason James E Vans RV 4 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 197
- Built
- 1986
- Airframe hours
- 862
- Engine
- Superior IO-360-B1A, 185 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 22, 2015
- Departed
- BAZ · New Braunfels, TX
- Destination
- HYI · San Marcos, TX
- Airport
- HYI · San Marcos Muni, runway 26, 6,330 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic primary flight display, Angle of attack indicator, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Electronic multifunction display
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
- 35
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 17, 2015
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 304.2 total · 212.1 in this make and model · 304.2 as pilot in command · 3.2 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 0.6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 95 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.76 inHg
- Observed at
- KHYI
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 14, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 535 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.