- Date
- April 3, 2016, 13:58 local (18:58 UTC)
- Place
- Spring, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N501TTBoeing A75N1(PT17)
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 25, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20160403005029I
- Case key
- 93077
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, resulting in a runway excursion and substantial damage to the lower left wing spar.
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
According to the pilot of the tailwheel-equipped biplane, during approach, the tower cleared him to land on the short runway which he refused because he felt rushed by inbound traffic. He reported that the tower acknowledged his refusal, and cleared him to land on the long runway which was runway 17R. The pilot reported that he landed on runway 17R with a quartering tail wind. However, during the pilot's approach, the wind that was reported by ATC to the pilot was 230 degrees true at 6 knots. He recalled that the airplane exited the right side of the runway, then ground looped to the right, and came to a stop nose down in a ditch and resting on the bottom left wing. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower left wing spar. The meteorological aerodrome report (METAR) reported the wind as calm, 5 minutes before the accident. One hour before the accident, the METAR reported the wind as variable at 3 knots. One hour after the accident the METAR reported the wind as variable at 4 knots. 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 of the tailwheel-equipped biplane, during approach, the tower cleared him to land on the short runway which he refused because he felt rushed by inbound traffic. He reported that the tower acknowledged his refusal, and cleared him to land on the long runway which was runway 17R. The pilot reported that he landed on runway 17R with a quartering tail wind. However, during the pilot's approach, the wind that was reported by ATC to the pilot was 230 degrees true at 6 knots. He recalled that the airplane exited the right side of the runway, then ground looped to the right, and came to a stop nose down in a ditch and resting on the bottom left wing. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower left wing spar. The meteorological aerodrome report (METAR) reported the wind as calm, 5 minutes before the accident. One hour before the accident, the METAR reported the wind as variable at 3 knots. One hour after the accident the METAR reported the wind as variable at 4 knots. 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
- N501TT
- Reported as
- Boeing A75N1(PT17) (UNDESIGNAT)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 75500
- Built
- 1940
- Engine
- Continental R-670-5, 220 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- DWH · Spring, TX
- Destination
- DWH · Spring, TX
- Airport
- DWH · David Wayne Hooks Memorial, runway 17R, 7,009 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 67
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3
- Last flight review
- December 5, 2015
- Flight hours
- 3,200 total · 160 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.20 inHg
- Observed at
- KDWH
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 14, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 234 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.