- Date
- July 30, 2016, 15:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Frankfort, MI
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N291AFS C Aerostar S .A. Festival R40S
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 12, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20160730012689A
- Case key
- 93722
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, a nose gear collapse, and impact with terrain.
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 student pilot reported that during the landing roll in gusty right crosswind conditions the right wing lifted and the airplane drifted off the runway to the left. The airplane impacted terrain, which resulted in a collapsed nose gear and substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. A review of recorded data from the automated weather observation station located on the airport, revealed that, about 7 minutes before the accident the wind was 050 degrees true at 5 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, and sky clear. The airplane landed on runway 15.
Factual narrative
The student pilot reported that during the landing roll in gusty right crosswind conditions the right wing lifted and the airplane drifted off the runway to the left. The airplane impacted terrain, which resulted in a collapsed nose gear and substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. A review of recorded data from the automated weather observation station located on the airport, revealed that, about 7 minutes before the accident the wind was 050 degrees true at 5 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, and sky clear. The airplane landed on runway 15.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N291AF
- Reported as
- S C Aerostar S .A. Festival R40S (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 050305
- Built
- 2005
- Airframe hours
- 421
- Engine
- Rotax 912-ULS, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Unknown · June 2, 2016
- Departed
- ACB · Bellaire, MI
- Destination
- FKS · Frankfort, MI
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- FKS · Frankfort Dow Memorial Field, runway 15, 4,050 × 75 ft, concrete
- 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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 82
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 38.4 total · 38.4 in this make and model · 3.4 as pilot in command · 34 in the last 90 days · 2.9 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- KFKS
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 30, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.2 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.