- Date
- July 14, 2018, 14:15 local (18:15 UTC)
- Place
- Dayton, OH
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7492KPiper PA 20
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 26, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180714011159A
- Case key
- 97805
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 inadequate compensation for variable crosswind conditions during landing, which resulted in a runway excursion.
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 the landing flare, he felt a wind shift push the airplane left of centerline. He applied opposite rudder, but the airplane touched down "skewed" to the right. The airplane then exited the runway to the right and ground looped on an adjacent field. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that the wind was variable at 6 knots at the accident site. He added that, during the short final leg of the approach, the wind was from about 210º and that, during the landing flare, the wind shifted to from about 280º. The airport's automated weather observation station reported that, about 20 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 310º at 9 knots and that, about 30 minutes after the accident, the wind was from 180° at 8 knots. The pilot landed the airplane on runway 20.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that, during the flare, he felt a wind shift push the airplane left of centerline. He applied opposite rudder, but the airplane touched down "skewed", pointed to the right. The airplane then exited the runway to the right and ground looped on the adjacent field. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that the wind was variable at 6 knots at the accident site. He added that during the short final leg of the approach, the wind was from about 210º and the wind shifted to about 280º during the flare. The automated weather observation station located on the airport reported that, about 20 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 310º at 9 knots and about 30 minutes after of the accident, the wind was from 180° at 8 knots. The airplane landed on runway 20.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7492K
- Reported as
- Piper PA 20 (Undesignat)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20-407
- Built
- 1950
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-C1, 108 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Gateway Tailwheel Club LLC
- Registered owner
- Gateway Tailwheel Club LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 13, 2017
- Departed
- MGY · Dayton, OH
- Destination
- MGY · Dayton, OH
- Airport
- MGY · Dayton-Wright Brothers, runway 20, 5,000 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Onboard weather, Handheld GPS, Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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
- 31
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 19, 2018
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 82 total · 109 in this make and model · 55 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Observed at
- KMGY
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 30, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.2 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.