- Date
- August 9, 2018, 11:25 local (17:25 UTC)
- Place
- Raton, NM
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N104CCPiper PA18
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: 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
- 20180809014179A
- Case key
- 98039
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 loss of directional control during the landing roll.
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 in the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during the wheel landing in gusting wind conditions, the right main landing gear (MLG) touched down on the runway followed by the left MLG. During the landing roll, the airplane encountered a wind gust from the left. The airplane ground looped to the left, and the pilot applied full right rudder and brakes. However, the airplane exited the left side of the runway, and its right wing struck the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing, the right aileron, and the right elevator. The pilot reported that the airport's windsocks indicated a 5- to 10-knot "right quartering headwind." The METAR located at the airport reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 210° at 5 knots. The airplane landed on runway 25. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot in the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that during the wheel landing in gusting wind conditions, the right main landing gear touched down on the runway followed by the left main landing gear. During the landing roll, the airplane encountered a wind gust from the left. The airplane ground-looped to the left, and the pilot applied full right rudder and brake application. However, the airplane exited the left side of the runway and the airplane's right wing struck the ground. Substantial damage was sustained to the right wing, the right aileron, and the right elevator. The pilot reported that the airport's wind socks indicated a 5 to 10 knot "right quartering headwind." The METAR located at the airport reported that about the time of the accident, the wind was from 210° at 5 knots. The airplane landed on runway 25. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N104CC
- Reported as
- Piper PA18 (150)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 9947CC
- Built
- 2002
- Airframe hours
- 9,579.2
- Engine
- Lycoming O360-C4P, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Operator
- Doss Aviation Inc
- Registered owner
- Doss Aviation Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 16, 2018
- Departed
- RTN · Rotan, NM
- Destination
- RTN · Rotan, NM
- Airport
- RTN · Raton Muni/Crews Field, runway 25, 4,425 × 75 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
- 61
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Waiver time limited special
- Last flight review
- November 9, 2017
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 5,692 total · 38 in this make and model · 3,905 as pilot in command · 64 in the last 90 days · 23 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.32 inHg
- Observed at
- KRTN
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 25, 2019, 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.