- Date
- July 5, 2018, 16:55 local (20:55 UTC)
- Place
- Moneta, VA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N29963North American AT
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 10, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180705009159A
- Case key
- 97744
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 a proper descent rate, which resulted in a bounced landing and his subsequent failure to maintain directional.
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 airplane reported that, during landing, he made a three-point touchdown, and the airplane bounced. Following the bounce, upon touchdown, the airplane veered sharply right and ground looped, the left landing gear collapsed, and the airplane impacted trees. The pilot added that the descent rate was higher than normal. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. 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 landing, the airplane had a three-point touchdown and bounced. Following the bounce, upon touchdown, the airplane veered sharply to the right, ground looped, the left landing gear collapsed, and the airplane impacted trees. The pilot added that his decent rate was higher than normal. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot did not submit the NTSB Form 6120.1 Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N29963
- Reported as
- North American AT (6D)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 49-2977
- Built
- 1942
- Engine
- P&W R1340 SERIES, 550 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- CJR · Culpeper, VA
- Destination
- W91 · Moneta, VA
- Airport
- W91 · Smith Mountain Lake, runway 05, 3,058 × 50 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 56
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.26 inHg
- Observed at
- KROA, 22 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 9, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 427 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.