- Date
- October 5, 2018, 12:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Cleveland, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N36268Champion 7ECA
- 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
- 20181005016689A
- Case key
- 98474
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 while landing in a gusting crosswind conditions.
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 reported that, while landing on a private grass airstrip in a crosswind, a wind gust from the right made the tailwheel-equipped airplane weathervane into the wind. He added that, while correcting for the crosswind, the airplane drifted left, and the left main landing gear sunk into soft ground. The airplane then pivoted left, the right main landing gear exited the runway, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing, right wing spar, and left wing lift strut. The pilot reported that the wind was variable at 10 knots, gusting to 15 knots. 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 reported that, while landing on a private grass airstrip, in a crosswind, a gust from the right made the tailwheel-equipped airplane weathervane into the wind. He added that, while correcting for the crosswind, the airplane drifted left, and the left main landing gear sunk into soft ground. The airplane pivoted left, the right main landing gear exited the runway, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing, right wing spar, and the left wing lift strut. The pilot reported that the wind was variable at 10 knots, gusting 15 knots. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N36268
- Reported as
- Champion 7ECA (No Series)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 963-73
- Built
- 1973
- Engine
- reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Aerobatic
- Departed
- 6R3 · Cleveland, TX
- Destination
- Cleveland, TX
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 54
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 7, 2018
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 22,000 total · 234 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,600 ft broken
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Observed at
- KCXO, 25 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 6, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.0 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.