- Date
- January 24, 2016, 19:30 local (Jan 25, 2016, 03:30 UTC)
- Place
- Big Bear, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1983TGlines Kenneth Tailwind W 8
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report April 5, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20160124001499A
- Case key
- 92694
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 inadvertent landing off the left side of the snow-covered runway, resulting in a ground loop and nose over.
Findings · 4
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, during his approach at a non-towered airport at night, he made the descent to what he thought was the runway, but realized that it was actually the taxiway, and "slipped" right, to what he then perceived to be the runway. Upon touchdown, the airplane ground looped and nosed over. The pilot had landed and nosed over in the safety area to the left of the runway. The pilot reported that he had been flying for the preceding 12 hour period, and conceded to having exceeded his personal endurance limitations. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or anomalies with the airplane prior to or during the flight that would have prevented normal flight operation.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, during his approach at a non-towered airport at night, he made the descent to what he thought was the runway, but realized that it was actually the taxiway, and "slipped" right, to what he then perceived to be the runway. Upon touchdown, the airplane ground looped and nosed over. The pilot had landed and nosed over in the safety area to the left of the runway. The pilot reported that he had been flying for the preceding 12 hour period, and conceded to having exceeded his personal endurance limitations. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or anomalies with the airplane prior to or during the flight that would have prevented normal flight operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1983T
- Reported as
- Glines Kenneth Tailwind W 8 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 306
- Built
- 1983
- Airframe hours
- 1,192
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-JC1B, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Earhart, Robert E
- Registered owner
- Earhart, Robert E
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · October 24, 2015
- Departed
- SJN · Saint Johns, AZ
- Destination
- L35 · Big Bear, CA
- Airport
- L35 · Big Bear City, runway 26, 5,850 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- 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
- 72
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 15, 2014
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 2,034 total · 170 in this make and model · 25 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 30 °F, dew point 23 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.07 inHg
- Observed at
- KL35
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 28, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.0 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.