- Date
- July 10, 2016, 16:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Grants Pass, OR
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9185ZHelio H 295
- 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
- 20160710010969A
- Case key
- 93580
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 ground loop.
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 of a tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that during the landing roll, he encountered a crosswind gust from the right. Subsequently, the airplane swerved off the runway to the right and ground looped. During the ground loop, the left wing and left horizontal stabilizer impacted the ground, which resulted in substantial damage. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported on the National Transportation Safety Board Accident/ Incident Report Form 6120.1, the wind direction was variable at 8 to 9 knots, with gusts at 2 to 5 knots. The destination airport was not equipped with an automated weather observation system.
Factual narrative
The pilot of a tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that during the landing roll, he encountered a crosswind gust from the right. Subsequently, the airplane swerved off the runway to the right and ground looped. During the ground loop, the left wing and left horizontal stabilizer impacted the ground, which resulted in substantial damage. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported on the National Transportation Safety Board Accident/ Incident Report Form 6120.1, the wind direction was variable at 8 to 9 knots, with gusts at 2 to 5 knots. The destination airport was not equipped with an automated weather observation system.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9185Z
- Reported as
- Helio H 295 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1228
- Built
- 1966
- Airframe hours
- 13,352.7
- Engine
- Lycoming GO-480-G1D6, 295 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 5, 2015
- Departed
- 3S8 · Grants Pass, OR
- Destination
- 3S8 · Grants Pass, OR
- Airport
- 3S8 · Grants Pass, runway 13, 4,001 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Auto-pilot
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
- 62
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 8, 2016
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 6,244 total · 3,994 in this make and model · 5,899.6 as pilot in command · 35 in the last 90 days · 22 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot-rated passenger
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Unknown
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 900 ft broken
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.17 inHg
- Observed at
- KSXT, 5 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 18, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.2 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.