- Date
- July 9, 2018, 11:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- North Myrtle Beach, SC
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N96TClassic Waco
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: 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
- 20180709015909A
- Case key
- 97854
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 a left quartering headwind.
Findings · 3
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, after a three-point landing, the airplane began to "shudder" and veered left. He corrected by applying forward pressure to the control stick and right rudder, and the airplane's tailwheel raised off the runway, and the airplane regained the runway heading. As the airspeed decreased, the tailwheel touched down on the runway, and the airplane shuddered and veered left again. He corrected with right rudder, left brake and aileron, but the airplane ground looped to the left, and the main landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot added that, about 1 hour before the accident, the wind was from 340º at 12 knots, gusting to 17 knots. The airport's automated weather observation system reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 340° at 8 knots. The pilot landed the airplane on runway 5.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that, after a three-point landing, the airplane began to "shudder" and veered left. He corrected with forward pressure to the control stick and opposite rudder and the airplane's tail raised off the runway and the airplane regained the runway heading. As the airspeed decreased, the tailwheel touched down again on the runway, and the airplane shuddered and veered left again. He corrected with opposite rudder, left brake and aileron, but the airplane ground looped to the left, and the main landing gears collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot added that, about one hour prior to the accident, the wind was from 340º at 12 knots, gusting 17 knots. The automated weather observation station located on the airport reported that, about the time the accident, the wind was from 340° at 8 knots. The airplane landed on runway 5.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N96T
- Reported as
- Classic Waco (YMF)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- F5C-052
- Built
- 1993
- Engine
- Jacobs R-755 B, 275 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Operator
- Executive Helicopters Inc
- Registered owner
- Executive Helicopters Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 8, 2018
- Departed
- CRE · North Myrtle Beach, SC
- Destination
- CRE · North Myrtle Beach, SC
- Airport
- CRE · Grand Strand, runway 05, 5,997 × 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
- 45
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 14, 2018
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 6,645 total · 250 in this make and model · 6,450 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 29 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.18 inHg
- Observed at
- KCRE
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 9, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.1 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.