- Date
- May 28, 2018, 10:53 local (16:53 UTC)
- Place
- Payette, ID
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2004UTaylorcraft F21
- Defining event
- Landing: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 18, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180528006269A
- Case key
- 97338
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 student pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during landing with a crosswind and his subsequent failure to maintain airspeed during an aborted landing, which resulted in a collision with terrain and nose-over.
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
According to the student pilot in the tailwheel-equipped airplane, he had completed a cross-country flight and aborted the first landing due to crosswind gusts from the left. He also aborted the second landing, but on his third approach about 60 knots, he committed to the landing. Just before touching down, the airplane encountered a left crosswind gust and then touched down oriented 10° left of the runway heading and bounced. The airplane veered right and exited the right side of the runway. He added full power and aborted the landing, but the airspeed was too slow. The airplane remained airborne for 150 ft, landed in a dirt field, and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and windscreen. The student reported that, at the time of the accident, "winds were out of the NW at approximately 11 mph (as indicated by my Garmin Pilot app) with a 6 mph crosswind from the West and gusting." The airplane landed on runway 31. The nearest METAR, which was 6 miles southwest of the accident site, reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 300° at 10 knots. The student reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
According to the student pilot in the tailwheel-equipped airplane, he had completed a cross-country flight and aborted the first landing due to crosswind gusts from the left. He also aborted the second landing, but on his third approach about 60 knots approach airspeed, he committed to the landing. Just before touching down, the airplane encountered a left crosswind gust and the airplane touched down oriented 10° to the left of the runway heading and bounced. The airplane veered to the right and exited the right side of the runway. He added full power and aborted the landing, but the airspeed was too slow. The airplane remained airborne for 150ft, landed in a dirt field, and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and the windscreen. The pilot reported that at the time of the accident, "Winds were out of the NW at approximately 11 mph (as indicated by my Garmin Pilot app) with a 6 MPH crosswind from the West and gusting." The airplane landed on runway 31. The nearest METAR was 6 miles southwest of the accident site and reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 300° at 10 knots. The student pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2004U
- Reported as
- Taylorcraft F21 (UNDESIGNAT)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- F-1006
- Built
- 1980
- Airframe hours
- 570
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 1, 2017
- Departed
- S75 · Payette, ID
- Destination
- S75 · Payette, ID
- Airport
- S75 · Payette Muni, runway 31, 3,000 × 50 ft, asphalt
- 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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 48
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 37 total · 27 in this make and model · 2 as pilot in command · 24 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- KONO, 6 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 29, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.9 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.