- Date
- September 9, 2018, 11:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Williams, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N152GHHimmeroeder Hansgeorg Bearhawk
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 18, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- Case key
- 98297
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.
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 of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during the landing roll in the grass left of an asphalt runway with light wind conditions, the airplane veered left. He attempted to recover, but his flight control input was ineffective. The airplane ground looped to the left, the right landing gear collapsed, and the right wing impacted a ditch. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. 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 the landing roll in the grass to the left of an asphalt runway with light wind conditions, the airplane veered left. He attempted to recover, but his flight control input was ineffective. The airplane ground looped to the left, the right landing gear collapsed, and the right wing impacted a ditch. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N152GH
- Reported as
- Himmeroeder Hansgeorg Bearhawk
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 052-99/100-867
- Built
- 2012
- Airframe hours
- 450.5
- Engine
- Lycoming YIO-540-D4A5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 29, 2017
- Departed
- CN12 · Williams, CA
- Destination
- CN12 · Williams, CA
- Airport
- CN12 · Williams, runway 16, 2,500 × 40 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Electronic primary flight display
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
- 65
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 13, 2018
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 22,600 total · 13 in this make and model · 20,000 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.87 inHg
- Observed at
- KMYV, 27 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 12, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.7 MB in all.