- Date
- October 23, 2015, 11:20 local (18:20 UTC)
- Place
- Placerville, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N169JGMcpherson John G Pietenpol Aircamper
- 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
- Sacramento FSDO (FAA)
- FAA report
- 20151023018819I
- Case key
- 92243
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, which resulted in a runway excursion and an impact with terrain.
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 he encountered terrain induced turbulence over the runway threshold and bounced on the touchdown. During the landing roll, the left wing rose and the airplane began a "sweeping turn to the left." He attempted to correct with right rudder and brake, but the airplane exited the runway to the left, traveled about 25 feet down an embankment, and came to a stop. The right wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot stated there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot of a tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that he encountered terrain induced turbulence over the runway threshold and bounced on the touchdown. During the landing roll, the left wing rose and the airplane began a "sweeping turn to the left." He attempted to correct with right rudder and brake, but the airplane exited the runway to the left, traveled about 25 feet down an embankment, and came to a stop. The right wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot stated there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N169JG
- Reported as
- Mcpherson John G Pietenpol Aircamper (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- M-001
- Built
- 2014
- Airframe hours
- 33.7
- Engine
- Continental A-65-8F, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- PVF · Placerville, CA
- Destination
- PVF · Placerville, CA
- Airport
- PVF · Placerville, runway 23, 3,910 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- None
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
- 76
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 20, 2015
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,556.5 total · 33.7 in this make and model · 1,464.1 as pilot in command · 19.1 in the last 90 days · 8.3 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.11 inHg
- Turbulence
- Light
- Observed at
- KPVF
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 14, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.4 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.