- Date
- February 14, 2016, 11:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Bell City, LA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N960RFFoxworthy Roy Christen Eagle
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 3, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- Baton Rouge FSDO (FAA)
- FAA report
- 20160214002879A
- Case key
- 92732
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 takeoff in gusty wind conditions, which resulted in a runway excursion and a nose over.
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 biplane reported that during takeoff he encountered an "unexpected wind gust." Subsequently, the airplane departed the grass runway to the left into "muddy" terrain. The pilot reported that he reduced the power to idle during the runway excursion, but the airplane sunk into the mud and nosed over. A postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to the top left wing. About the time of the accident 8 nautical miles northwest of the destination airport, an automated weather observing system reported wind conditions of 170 degrees true at 15 knots, gusting to 25 knots. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot of a tailwheel equipped biplane reported that during takeoff he encountered an "unexpected wind gust." Subsequently, the airplane departed the grass runway to the left into "muddy" terrain. The pilot reported that he reduced the power to idle during the runway excursion, but the airplane sunk into the mud and nosed over. A postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to the top left wing. About the time of the accident 8 nautical miles northwest of the destination airport, an automated weather observing system reported wind conditions of 170 degrees true at 15 knots, gusting to 25 knots. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N960RF
- Reported as
- Foxworthy Roy Christen Eagle (II)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- FOXWORTHY 0001
- Built
- 1985
- Airframe hours
- 241.3
- Engine
- Lycoming AEIO-360-A1D, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · September 12, 2015
- Departed
- 52LA · Bell City, LA
- Destination
- ORG · Orange, TX
- Airport
- 52LA · Bruce Beard, runway 09, 2,650 × 90 ft, grass/turf
- 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
- 38
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 22, 2016
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 837 total · 13 in this make and model · 765 as pilot in command · 33 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 15 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,900 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.07 inHg
- Observed at
- KLCH, 8 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 30, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.1 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.