- Date
- April 9, 2016, 17:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Fentress, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N122PMDehavilland DHC 6 Twin Otter
- Defining event
- Landing-aborted after touchdown: 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
- 20160409007409A
- Case key
- 92987
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 aborted landing in gusty crosswind conditions, which resulted in a runway excursion and a collision with a tree.
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
The pilot reported that he was landing in gusty crosswind conditions following a parachute jump flight, and that the gusty conditions had persisted for the previous 10 skydiving flights that day. The pilot further reported that during the landing roll, when the nose wheel touched down, the airplane became "unstable" and veered to the left. He reported that he applied right rudder and added power to abort the landing, but the airplane departed the runway to the left and the left wing impacted a tree. The airplane spun 180 degrees to the left and came to rest after the impact with the tree. The left wing was substantially damaged. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he was landing in gusty crosswind conditions following a parachute jump flight, and that the gusty conditions had persisted for the previous 10 skydiving flights that day. The pilot further reported that during the landing roll, when the nose wheel touched down, the airplane became "unstable" and veered to the left. He reported that he applied right rudder and added power to abort the landing, but the airplane departed the runway to the left and the left wing impacted a tree. The airplane spun 180 degrees to the left and came to rest after the impact with the tree. The left wing was substantially damaged. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N122PM
- Reported as
- Dehavilland DHC 6 Twin Otter (1)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15
- Built
- 1966
- Airframe hours
- 53,624
- Engines
- Pratt & Whitney PT6-28 (L), 715 horsepower, turbo propPratt & Whitney PT6-28 (R), 715 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Skydiving · Part 91
- Operator
- Dilkara Leasing LLC.
- Registered owner
- Dilkara Leasing LLC.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · September 17, 2015
- Departed
- XS90 · Fentress, TX
- Destination
- XS90 · Fentress, TX
- Airport
- XS90 · Fentress Airpark, runway 22, 3,200 × 50 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 45
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 13, 2016
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 6,000 total · 1,000 in this make and model · 3,000 as pilot in command · 60 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 34
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- Lap only
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 15 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 7,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Turbulence
- Light
- Observed at
- KHYI, 8 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 12, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.9 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.