- Date
- March 23, 2018, 18:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Hartselle, AL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N654MMFlightworks Capella XS FW2C80TD
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report July 5, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180323010019A
- Case key
- 96927
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.
Findings · 2
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 a wheel landing, the airplane began to drift to the left while the tail was still in the air. He added that he added right rudder to no avail. He added that he "went to full power too late", the right wing struck the ground, and the airplane came to rest in a ditch to the left of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during a wheel landing, the airplane began to drift to the left while the tail was still in the air. He added that he added right rudder to no avail. He added that he "went to full power too late", the right wing struck the ground, and the airplane came to rest in a ditch to the left of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N654MM
- Reported as
- Flightworks Capella XS FW2C80TD (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 91008
- Built
- 1995
- Airframe hours
- 371.5
- Engine
- Rotax 912, 80 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Departed
- 5M0 · Hartselle, AL
- Destination
- 5M0 · Hartselle, AL
- Airport
- 5M0 · Hartselle-Morgan County Region, runway 18, 3,599 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Onboard weather, 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
- 59
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Last flight review
- November 16, 2017
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 151 total · 44 in this make and model · 151 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 120° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 7,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.15 inHg
- Observed at
- KDCU, 15 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 9, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.8 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.