- Date
- August 3, 2016, 07:45 local (13:45 UTC)
- Place
- Belen, NM
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N72580Cessna 120
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 22, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20160803012769A
- Case key
- 93753
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, which resulted in a runway excursion and a ground loop.
Findings · 3
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 tailwheel endorsed pilot reported that he was practicing stop and go landing's in a make and model tailwheel-equipped airplane that he had never flown before. During the fourth stop and go, the pilot reported that during the landing roll at 35 miles per hour the airplane began to turn to the right and he attempted to correct. Subsequently, the airplane continued to the right, departed the runway, and ground looped. During the ground loop, the left main landing gear collapsed and the left wing was substantially damaged after the impact with terrain. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The tailwheel endorsed pilot reported that he was practicing stop and go landing's in a make and model tailwheel-equipped airplane that he had never flown before. During the fourth stop and go, the pilot reported that during the landing roll at 35 miles per hour the airplane began to turn to the right and he attempted to correct. Subsequently, the airplane continued to the right, departed the runway, and ground looped. During the ground loop, the left main landing gear collapsed and the left wing was substantially damaged after the impact with terrain. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N72580
- Reported as
- Cessna 120 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 9750
- Built
- 1946
- Airframe hours
- 4,352.8
- Engine
- Continental O-200A, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 19, 2016
- Departed
- E98 · Los Lunas, NM
- Destination
- E80 · Belen, NM
- Airport
- E80 · Alexander Muni, runway 21, 6,601 × 60 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
- Pilot
- Age
- 72
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 25, 2016
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 13,000 total · 1 in this make and model · 8,000 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.26 inHg
- Observed at
- E80
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 12, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.0 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.