- Date
- October 6, 2016, 10:15 local (16:15 UTC)
- Place
- Hanna, WY
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4457ZPiper PA18
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 18, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20161006022049A
- Case key
- 94197
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 shifting wind conditions.
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 while landing on a dirt road with a left quartering crosswind, the "wind changed suddenly" and the airplane drifted to the right. He further reported that he applied power to abort the landing, but the right main landing gear "dropped off" the side of the dirt road and the airplane veered "hard to the right" into a ditch and wire fence. The left elevator sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot of a tailwheel equipped airplane reported that while landing on a dirt road with a left quartering crosswind, the "wind changed suddenly" and the airplane drifted to the right. He further reported that he applied power to abort the landing, but the right main landing gear "dropped off" the side of the dirt road and the airplane veered "hard to the right" into a ditch and wire fence. The left elevator sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4457Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA18 (A150)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-8804
- Built
- 1969
- Airframe hours
- 5,894
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 29, 2016
- Departed
- Hanna, WY
- Destination
- Hanna, WY
- 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
- 31
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 25, 2016
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,879 total · 4.4 in this make and model · 1,690 as pilot in command · 179 in the last 90 days · 79 in the last 30 days · 3.2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- KCPR, 45 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 5, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 922 KB 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.