- Date
- January 15, 2017, 15:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Compton, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1659EAeronca 7AC
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 4, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170115000389A
- Case key
- 94615
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 runway alignment during landing in gusting crosswind conditions, which resulted in an off-runway landing in soft dirt and a nose-over.
Findings · 5
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 short final approach in gusting wind conditions, the airplane drifted left. The airplane landed left of the runway in soft dirt and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing lift struts. The pilot reported that, about 10 minutes before the accident, the wind was reported as light and variable at the airport. The airplane was landing on runway 7R. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot of a tailwheel equipped airplane reported that during short final approach in gusting wind conditions, the airplane drifted left. He further reported that the airplane landed to the left of the runway in soft dirt and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing lift struts. The pilot reported that about 10 minutes prior to the accident the wind was reported as light and variable at the airport. The airplane was landing on runway 7R. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1659E
- Reported as
- Aeronca 7AC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7AC-5225
- Built
- 1946
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-200, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- F70 · Murrieta/Temecula, CA
- Destination
- CPM · Compton, CA
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- CPM · Compton/Woodley, runway 07R, 3,322 × 60 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS
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
- 84
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 1, 2016
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 2,985 total · 1,913 in this make and model · 2,957 as pilot in command · 17 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Observed at
- KHHR, 5 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 6, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.8 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.
Other investigations on N1659E · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.