- Date
- October 2, 2018, 10:15 local (15:15 UTC)
- Place
- Frankston, TX
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N20179Airborne Windsports PTY Edge XT 912
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 5, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20181002016619A
- Case key
- 98408
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 improper landing flare, which resulted in the weight-shift-controlled aircraft landing crooked on a turf runway.
Findings · 4
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 reported that, during landing, the weight-shift-controlled aircraft landed slightly "crooked," the steering bar "jerked a bit side to side," and the front wheel dug into the turf runway. Subsequently, the aircraft rolled onto its right side. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to its wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the aircraft that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that, during landing, the weight-shifted controlled aircraft landed slightly "crooked", the steering bar "jerked a bit side to side," and the front wheel dug into the sod runway. Subsequently, the aircraft rolled right, onto its side. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to its wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the aircraft that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N20179
- Reported as
- Airborne Windsports PTY Edge XT 912 (B)
- Category
- Weight-shift
- Serial number
- XT912-113
- Built
- 2005
- Airframe hours
- 373
- Engine
- Rotax 912UL, 80 hp, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · June 2, 2018
- Departed
- T25 · Frankston, TX
- Destination
- T25 · Frankston, TX
- Airport
- T25 · Aero Estates, runway 27, 3,100 × 60 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Electronic primary flight display, Airframe parachute, Electronic multifunction 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
- 81
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Private, Sport Pilot
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Sport pilot, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 14, 2016
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,859 total · 142 in this make and model · 1,650 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.17 inHg
- Observed at
- KTYR, 16 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 11, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.2 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.