- Date
- July 22, 2017, 10:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Atchison, KS
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N304DRRadford Darrel F Christen Eagle II
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 14, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170722014769I
- Case key
- 95704
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 in crosswind conditions.
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 reported that, during the landing roll, the tailwheel-equipped airplane encountered a wind gust and subsequently veered off the runway to the left. The pilot overcorrected to the right, and the airplane ground looped to the left. 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 pilot reported that the automated weather observation system indicated that the wind was from 270° at 10 knots. The airplane landed on runway 34.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during the landing roll, the tailwheel-equipped airplane encountered a gust of wind, and subsequently veered off the runway to the left. The pilot over corrected to the right and the airplane ground looped to the left. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that the automated weather observation system indicated that the wind was from 270° at 10 knots. The airplane landed on runway 34.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N304DR
- Reported as
- Radford Darrel F Christen Eagle II (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- RADFORD-0001
- Built
- 1981
- Airframe hours
- 1,152
- Engine
- Lycoming AEIOA1A, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 2017
- Departed
- DDC · Dodge City, KS
- Destination
- K59 · Atchison, KS
- Airport
- K59 · Amelia Earhart, runway 34, 3,000 × 48 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
- 79
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 24, 2017
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 3,238 total · 1,148 in this make and model · 3,100 as pilot in command · 19 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 10 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.80 inHg
- Observed at
- KSTJ, 17 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 5, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.4 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.