- Date
- March 24, 2016, 11:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Monticello, GA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N127LCAmerican Legend AL3
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 1, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- Case key
- 92921
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 decision to land with a quartering tail wind, and failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll, which resulted in runway excursion, and collision with a tree.
Findings · 5
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 the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that during the landing roll with a quartering tailwind, he lost directional control, departed the runway, and impacted a tree. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. According to the pilot there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that during the landing roll with a quartering tailwind, he lost directional control, departed the runway, and impacted a tree. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. According to the pilot there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N127LC
- Reported as
- American Legend AL3
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- AL-1178
- Built
- 2013
- Airframe hours
- 111.9
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-200-D, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- James R. Nelson II
- Registered owner
- Cimarron Flying Service LLC.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 18, 2015
- Departed
- GA06 · Monticello, GA
- Destination
- GA06 · Monticello, GA
- Airport
- GA06 · Monticello Sky Ranch, runway 32, 4,100 × 80 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS, 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
- 58
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 15, 2015
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,840 total · 102 in this make and model · 1,675 as pilot in command · 87 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.10 inHg
- Observed at
- KMLJ, 27 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 17, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.0 MB in all.