- Date
- July 26, 2016, 15:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Gig Harbor, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9791EAeronca 11AC
- Defining event
- Landing: 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
- Case key
- 93743
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 landing, and subsequent wing tip strike, which resulted in substantial damage to the rear 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
The student pilot reported that while on his fourth landing in the tailwheel equipped airplane, after touchdown the airplane was "a little out of alignment" and he "started to lose control". The student pilot further reported that he advanced the throttle to attempt an aborted landing but was unable to regain control of the airplane, the airplane veered off the runway to the left, he then decreased the throttle and the airplane rolled back onto the runway. A post-accident examination of the airplane revealed that the right wing tip struck the ground, which caused substantial damage to the right wing rear spar. The pilot reported that there were no pre impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The student pilot reported that while on his fourth landing in the tailwheel equipped airplane, after touchdown the airplane was "a little out of alignment" and he "started to lose control". The student pilot further reported that he advanced the throttle to attempt an aborted landing but was unable to regain control of the airplane, the airplane veered off the runway to the left, he then decreased the throttle and the airplane rolled back onto the runway. A post-accident examination of the airplane revealed that the right wing tip struck the ground, which caused substantial damage to the right wing rear spar. The pilot reported that there were no pre impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9791E
- Reported as
- Aeronca 11AC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 11AC-1438
- Built
- 1946
- Engine
- Cont Motor A&C65 SERIES, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- TIW · Gig Harbor, WA
- Destination
- TIW · Gig Harbor, WA
- Airport
- TIW · Tacoma Narrows, runway 17, 5,002 × 100 ft, asphalt
- 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
- 17
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 41 total · 41 in this make and model · 4 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.13 inHg
- Observed at
- KTIW
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 30, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.4 MB in all.
Other investigations on N9791E · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.