- Date
- May 6, 2017, 20:45 local (May 7, 2017, 02:45 UTC)
- Place
- Spanish Fork, UT
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N47KJJohnson Kenneth Super CUB Sport
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 20, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA/ FSDO
- FAA report
- 20170506006719A
- Case key
- 95135
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 decision to land with a gusting tailwind and his subsequent failure to maintain directional control.
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 reported that, "about half way through the [landing] rollout I lost control of the aircraft and ground looped to the right." During the ground loop, the left main landing gear collapsed, and the left wing impacted the runway. The left wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot failed to submit the National Transportation Safety Board NTSB Form 6120.1 Pilot/ Operator Aircraft Accident/ Incident Report after multiple requests. An automated weather observation station, 5 nautical miles from the accident airport, recorded that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 120° at 20 knots, gusting to 28 knots. The pilot reported that the landing was on runway 30.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported in a written statement that, "about half way through the [landing] roll out I lost control of the aircraft and ground looped to the right." During the ground loop, the left main landing gear collapsed and the left wing impacted the runway. The left wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot failed to submit the National Transportation Safety Board NTSB Form 6120.1 Pilot/ Operator Aircraft Accident/ Incident Report after multiple requests. An automated weather observation station, 5 nautical miles from the accident airport, about the time of the accident, recorded wind 120° at 20 knots, gusting 28 knots. The pilot reported that the landing was on runway 30.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N47KJ
- Reported as
- Johnson Kenneth Super CUB Sport (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 471D
- Built
- 2014
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-E2D, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Destination
- U77 · Spanish Fork, UT
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- U77 · Spanish Fork-Springville-Woodh, runway 30, 6,500 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 50
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 20 knots, gusting 28
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 12,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.64 inHg
- Observed at
- KPVU, 5 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 6, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 298 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.