- Date
- May 12, 2017, 15:40 local (22:40 UTC)
- Place
- Austin, NV
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1111EJohnson Kenneth W Super CUB Sport
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 31, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170512005119A
- Case key
- 95189
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 adequate airspeed during landing in gusting wind conditions, which resulted in a loss of 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 he had been practicing touch-and-go landings and short takeoffs and landings in gusting wind conditions. On the fourth landing, the airplane encountered a wind gust, and he lost directional control of the airplane. He attempted to go around, but the left wing struck desert brush, and the airplane spun to the left. The airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, the rudder, and the horizontal stabilizer. Per the National Transportation Safety Board Pilot Aircraft Accident Report, the pilot reported that the accident could have been prevented if, "in the wind conditions, I…[had] carried a little more airspeed to help with the gusts." The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he had been practicing touch and go landings along with short takeoffs and landings in gusting wind conditions. On the forth landing the airplane encountered a wind gust and he lost directional control of the airplane. He attempted to go-around but the left wing struck the desert brush and the airplane spun to the left. The airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. Substantial damage was sustained to both wings, the rudder and the horizontal stabilizer. Per the National Transportation Safety Board Pilot Aircraft Accident Report, the pilot reported that the accident could have been prevented by, "in the wind conditions, I should have carried a little more airspeed to help with the gusts." The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1111E
- Reported as
- Johnson Kenneth W Super CUB Sport (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 471C
- Built
- 2012
- Airframe hours
- 778
- Engine
- Lycoming O-323-B2B, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · February 20, 2017
- Departed
- TMT · Austin, NV
- Destination
- TMT · Austin, NV
- Airport
- TMT · Austin
- 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
- 68
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 4, 2016
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 7,254 total · 2,758 in this make and model · 70 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 21 knots, gusting 26
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.87 inHg
- Observed at
- KP68, 56 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 5, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 648 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.