- Date
- March 29, 2016, 14:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Ridgeland, SC
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N744HWaco CTO
- 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
- FAA report
- 20160329003459A
- Case key
- 92922
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, which resulted in a ground loop.
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
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped bi-plane reported that during the landing roll, the bi-plane started turning to the right, the left main landing gear collapsed, and the nose of the bi-plane impacted the ground. The bi-plane sustained substantial damage to the left lower wing. 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 bi-plane reported that during the landing roll, the bi-plane started turning to the right, the left main landing gear collapsed, and the nose of the bi-plane impacted the ground. The bi-plane sustained substantial damage to the left lower wing. 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
- N744H
- Reported as
- Waco CTO (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- A-95
- Built
- 1929
- Engine
- Wright 760E-2, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 3J1 · Ridgeland, SC
- Destination
- 3J1 · Ridgeland, SC
- Airport
- 3J1 · Ridgeland, runway 03, 2,692 × 70 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
- 92
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 15, 2015
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 5,357 total · 767 in this make and model · 4,829 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 0.3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.11 inHg
- Observed at
- KNBC, 14 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 19, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 981 KB 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.