- Date
- September 3, 2016, 13:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Perris, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7296CNorth American SNJ
- Defining event
- Landing-aborted after touchdown: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 5, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20160903014939A
- Case key
- 93953
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 inability to compensate for a dust devil during an aborted landing, which resulted in the left wing contacting the ground, a runway excursion, and the airplane coming to rest in a nose-down attitude.
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 pilot of the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that during the landing roll out with the tailwheel down, the tail of the airplane lifted back into the air, at that time he attempted to abort the landing. The pilot further reported that when the airplane became airborne the left wing dropped, then the right, both of which he countered. Subsequently, the left wing dropped again and struck the ground. The airplane exited the runway to the left and came to rest on its nose. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and aileron. After the accident, witnesses reported to the pilot that a dust devil had touched down in front of the airplane during the landing. 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 pilot of the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that during the landing roll out with the tailwheel down, the tail of the airplane lifted back into the air, at that time he attempted to abort the landing. The pilot further reported that when the airplane became airborne the left wing dropped, then the right, both of which he countered. Subsequently, the left wing dropped again and struck the ground. The airplane exited the runway to the left and came to rest on its nose. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and aileron. After the accident, witnesses reported to the pilot that a dust devil had touched down in front of the airplane during the landing. 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
- N7296C
- Reported as
- North American SNJ (5)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 84979
- Built
- 1944
- Airframe hours
- 5,590
- Engine
- P&W R1340 - AN1, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 19, 2016
- Departed
- L65 · Perris, CA
- Destination
- L65 · Perris, CA
- Airport
- L65 · Perris Valley, runway 15, 5,100 × 50 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
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
- 45
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 2, 2015
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 620 total · 53.4 in this make and model · 580 as pilot in command · 29.1 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 2 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.87 inHg
- Observed at
- KRIV, 8 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 19, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.3 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.