- Date
- September 18, 2018, 17:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Grand Island, NE
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N811YDAviat A1
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 8, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180918013809A
- Case key
- 98407
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 in tailwind and crosswind conditions. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s fatigue.
Findings · 5
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 second flight of the day, which was a 3 hour 30 minute flight, the tower controller at the destination airport instructed him to land on runway 35. During the landing roll, he lost directional control, the airplane ground looped to the right, and the left wing impacted the ground. The pilot added that he believed the accident was the result of fatigue. He added that he should have requested runway 13, which would have reduced the crosswind component, rather than accept the assigned runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and left aileron. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation station at the airport reported that, about 37 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 100° at 12 knots. The same automated station reported that, about 23 minutes after the accident, the wind was from 100° at 12 knots, gusting to 22 knots. The airplane landed on runway 35.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during the second flight of the day, which was a 3 hour 30 minute flight, the tower controller at the destination airport instructed him to land on runway 35. During the landing roll, he lost directional control, the airplane ground looped to the right, and the left wing impacted the ground. The pilot added that he believed the accident was a result of fatigue. He added that he should have requested runway 13, which would have reduced the crosswind component, rather than accept the runway assigned. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and left aileron. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation station located on the airport reported that, about 37 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 100° at 12 knots. The same automated station reported that, about 23 minutes after the accident, the wind was from 100° at 12 knots, gusting to 22 knots. The airplane landed on runway 35.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N811YD
- Reported as
- Aviat A1 (B)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2278
- Built
- 2004
- Airframe hours
- 905
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1P, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 10, 2018
- Departed
- HSR · Hot Springs, SD
- Destination
- GRI · Grand Island, NE
- Airport
- GRI · Central Nebraska Rgnl, runway 35, 7,002 × 150 ft, concrete
- Equipment
- Onboard weather, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, ADS-B
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
- 64
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 18, 2018
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,030.5 total · 896 in this make and model · 916.2 as pilot in command · 61.7 in the last 90 days · 38.5 in the last 30 days · 5.5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 12 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.87 inHg
- Observed at
- KGRI, 1 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 17, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.8 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.