- Date
- April 21, 2018, 11:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Pelion, SC
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9042NRepublic RC 3
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 27, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180421025049A
- Case key
- 97094
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 landing in gusting crosswind conditions.
Findings · 4
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 amphibious airplane reported that, during the landing roll, the airplane veered to the left. The pilot added full right rudder, but the airplane exited the left side of the runway and impacted a ditch. The right main landing gear sheared off and the right wing struck the ground. 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. The automated weather observation station located about 12 miles east of the airport reported that, about 34 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 090° at 11 knots, gusting 15 knots. The same automated station reported that, about 26 minutes after the accident, the wind was from 080° at 7 knots, gusting to 16 knots. The airplane landed on runway 18.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped amphibious airplane reported that, during the landing roll, the airplane veered to the left. The pilot added full right rudder, but the airplane exited the left side of the runway and impacted a ditch. The right main landing gear sheared off and the right wing struck the ground. 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. The automated weather observation station located about 12 miles east of the airport reported that, about 34 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 090° at 11 knots, gusting 15 knots. The same automated station reported that, about 26 minutes after the accident, the wind was from 080° at 7 knots, gusting to 16 knots. The airplane landed on runway 18.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9042N
- Reported as
- Republic RC 3 (UNDESIGNAT)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 275
- Built
- 1947
- Airframe hours
- 1,354
- Engine
- Lycoming GO-480-B, 270 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 5, 2018
- Departed
- SC99 · Lexington, SC
- Destination
- 6J0 · Lexington, SC
- Airport
- 6J0 · Lexington County At Pelion, runway 18, 4,335 × 75 ft, concrete
- Equipment
- None
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
- 65
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial, Flight engineer, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 14, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 26,000 total · 1,200 in this make and model · 12,675 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 11 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.38 inHg
- Observed at
- KCAE, 12 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 13, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.6 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.