- Date
- May 27, 2016, 13:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Groveland, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2675EChampion Aeronca 7AC
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 31, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20160527008009A
- Case key
- 93378
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 in gusty crosswind conditions, which resulted in a runway excursion and a collision with a concrete barrier wall.
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 a tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that during the landing roll, a "strong gust" of wind lifted the left wing and the airplane veered off the runway to the right. During the runway excursion, the airplane impacted a concrete barrier wall in the ramp area. The firewall sustained substantial damage. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The nearest automated weather observing station 15 nautical miles away from accident airport, about the time of the accident, reported the wind at 210 degrees true at 4 knots. The airplane landed on a 270 degrees magnetic heading.
Factual narrative
The pilot of a tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that during the landing roll, a "strong gust" of wind lifted the left wing and the airplane veered off the runway to the right. During the runway excursion, the airplane impacted a concrete barrier wall in the ramp area. The firewall sustained substantial damage. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The nearest automated weather observing station 15 nautical miles away from accident airport, about the time of the accident, reported the wind at 210 degrees true at 4 knots. The airplane landed on a 270 degrees magnetic heading.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2675E
- Reported as
- Champion Aeronca 7AC (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7AC-6255
- Built
- 1946
- Airframe hours
- 4,929.32
- Engine
- Continental A-65-8F, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 24, 2016
- Departed
- O22 · Columbia, CA
- Destination
- E45 · Groveland, CA
- Airport
- E45 · Pine Mountain Lake, runway 27, 3,624 × 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 62
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Last flight review
- March 17, 2016
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 369 total · 35.7 in this make and model · 356.2 as pilot in command · 13.6 in the last 90 days · 6.8 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.93 inHg
- Observed at
- O22, 15 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 17, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.7 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.