- Date
- September 1, 2018, 12:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Culpeper, VA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N27WEBoeing B75N1
- 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
- 20180901016149A
- Case key
- 98291
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 the landing roll, which resulted in a ground-loop.
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 rear seat of the tailwheel-equipped biplane reported that he and another pilot were practicing landings on the asphalt runway. During the landing roll, the airplane entered a left ground-loop, and the bottom right wing and aileron collided with the ground. The airplane sustained substantial to the bottom right wing and aileron. 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 rear seat of the tailwheel-equipped bi-plane reported that he and another pilot were practicing landings on the asphalt runway. During the landing roll a left ground-loop ensued and the bottom right wing and aileron collided with the ground. The airplane sustained substantial to the bottom right wing and aileron. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N27WE
- Reported as
- Boeing B75N1
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 75-6651
- Built
- 1943
- Airframe hours
- 2,660
- Engine
- Lycoming R680-E3B, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Hangar 39 LLC
- Registered owner
- Hangar 39 LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 1, 2018
- Departed
- VA30 · Culpeper, VA
- Destination
- CJR · Culpeper, VA
- Airport
- CJR · Culpeper Rgnl, runway 04, 5,000 × 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 61
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine sea, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 28, 2018
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 24,007 total · 5 in this make and model · 8,514 as pilot in command · 235 in the last 90 days · 89 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 63
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 1, 2018
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,272 total · 400 in this make and model · 1,180 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,300 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.26 inHg
- Observed at
- KCJR
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 30, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.6 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.
Other investigations on N27WE · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.