- Date
- November 8, 2016, 10:45 local (15:45 UTC)
- Place
- Fitchburg, MA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N46893Aeronca L 3B
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 4, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20161108024639A
- Case key
- 94356
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.
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 a tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during the landing roll after his fifth landing, the airplane veered hard left. He corrected to the right, but as the airplane straightened out, the left main landing gear impacted a runway light, spinning the airplane around. Subsequently, the left main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane came to rest on the left side. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the elevator. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot further reported that he received his tailwheel endorsement 3 months before the accident.
Factual narrative
The pilot of a tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that during the landing roll after his fifth landing, the airplane veered hard left. He further reported that he corrected to the right, but as the airplane straightened out, the left main landing gear impacted a runway light, spinning the airplane around. Subsequently, the left main landing gear collapsed and the airplane came to rest on the left side. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the elevator. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot further reported that he received his tailwheel endorsement 3 months prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N46893
- Reported as
- Aeronca L 3B (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 058B2692
- Built
- 1942
- Airframe hours
- 3,871
- Engine
- Continental O-200, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 12, 2016
- Departed
- KBAF · Westfield, MA
- Destination
- KFIT · Fitchburg, MA
- Airport
- KFIT · Fitchburg, runway 32, 4,500 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- None
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 61
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 4, 2016
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 15,854 total · 8 in this make and model · 13,000 as pilot in command · 136 in the last 90 days · 58 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- KFIT
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 7, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 909 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.