- Date
- November 14, 2015, 14:46 local (22:46 UTC)
- Place
- Carlsbad, CA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9872Curtiss Wright Travel Air
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 14, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Admainistration
- FAA report
- 20151114019889A
- Case key
- 92329
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 the landing roll, resulting in a ground-loop, and substantial damage to the right wing and wing strut.
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
According to the pilot of the tailwheel-equipped biplane, during the fourth landing roll of the day, the airplane "fish tailed" to the right and he was not able to maintain directional control. The airplane ground looped to the left on the runway, the right main landing gear collapsed and the lower right wing struck the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower right wing and wing strut. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or anomalies prior to or during the flight that would have prevented normal operation.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot of the tailwheel-equipped biplane, during the fourth landing roll of the day, the airplane "fish tailed" to the right and he was not able to maintain directional control. The airplane ground looped to the left on the runway, the right main landing gear collapsed and the lower right wing struck the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower right wing and wing strut. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or anomalies prior to or during the flight that would have prevented normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9872
- Reported as
- Curtiss Wright Travel Air (B-4000)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1059
- Built
- 1929
- Airframe hours
- 1,131
- Engine
- Cont Motor W670-6A, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Operator
- Fun Flights LLC
- Registered owner
- Fun Flights LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 1, 2015
- Departed
- CRQ · Carlsbad, CA
- Destination
- CRQ · Carlsbad, CA
- Airport
- CRQ · Mc Clellan-Palomar, runway 24, 4,897 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B
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
- 68
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 27, 2015
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 4,656 total · 1,856 in this make and model · 3,700 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.88 inHg
- Observed at
- CRQ
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 5, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.4 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.
Other investigations on N9872 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.