- Date
- June 18, 2017, 08:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Red Bluff, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4420ZPiper PA 18
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 23, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170618008529A
- Case key
- 95407
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 pitch control during the landing roll in gusting wind conditions, which resulted in a nose-over.
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 the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during the landing roll on a gravel bar in gusting wind, the "tail seemed to pick up from the wind." Subsequently, the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation station located about 6 nautical miles west of the accident site reported that, about 36 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 340° at 14 knots, gusting to 22 knots. The same weather observation station reported that, about 24 minutes after the accident, the wind was from 360° at 19 knots, gusting to 26 knots. The airplane was landing to the north.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during the landing roll on a gravel bar in gusting wind, the "tail seemed to pickup from the wind". Subsequently the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation station located about 6 nautical miles west from the accident site reported that, about 36 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 340° at 14 knots, gusting 22 knots. The same weather observation station reported that, about 24 minutes after the accident, the wind was from 360° at 19 knots, gusting 26 knots. The airplane was landing to the north.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4420Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA 18 (150)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-8756
- Built
- 1968
- Airframe hours
- 2,058
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 15, 2017
- Departed
- RBL · Red Bluff, CA
- Destination
- Red Bluff, CA
- Flight plan
- VFR
- 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
- 46
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 14, 2016
- Flight hours
- 1,546 total · 490 in this make and model · 1,389.6 as pilot in command · 24.5 in the last 90 days · 7.5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 14 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.85 inHg
- Observed at
- KRBL, 6 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 14, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 959 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.
Other investigations on N4420Z · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.