- Date
- June 8, 2018, 10:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Fairhope, AL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N17473Waco YKS 7
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 5, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180608007349I
- Case key
- 97444
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 while landing.
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 biplane reported that, while landing with a "slight cross wind," the biplane ground looped to the right. The biplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the biplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation system located at the airport reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was calm. The pilot landed on runway 19.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped biplane reported that, while landing with a "slight cross wind", the biplane ground looped to the right. The biplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the biplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation system located at the accident airport reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was calm. The pilot landed on runway 19.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N17473
- Reported as
- Waco YKS 7 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 4611
- Built
- 1937
- Airframe hours
- 2,483
- Engine
- Jacobs R755B2M, 275 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 16, 2018
- Departed
- CQF · Fairhope, AL
- Destination
- CQF · Fairhope, AL
- Airport
- CQF · H L Sonny Callahan, runway 19, 6,604 × 100 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
- Pilot
- Age
- 72
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- BasicMed
- Last flight review
- December 16, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 1,200 total · 83 in this make and model · 931 as pilot in command · 4.6 in the last 90 days · 4.6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.10 inHg
- Observed at
- KCQF
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 6, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 928 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.