- Date
- November 26, 2018, 12:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Rio Vista, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1916ZDarren M. Vinelli Sopwith PUP
- 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
- 20181126017699A
- Case key
- 98685
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 gusting tailwind 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 of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during landing, the airplane encountered a variable crosswind gust, and the left wing lifted. He was able to keep the airplane on the runway and established a landing roll. The ground speed was about 20 mph, and the airplane encountered another wind gust. The airplane weather-vaned to the left, exited the left side of the runway, rolled into mud, and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the rudder. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that the wind at the time of the accident was variable at 5 knots, gusting to 8 knots. A METAR at the nearest airport about 12 miles west of the accident site reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 020° at 6 knots. The pilot landed the airplane on runway 25.
Factual narrative
The pilot in the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that during landing, the airplane encountered a variable crosswind gust and the left wing lifted. He was able to keep the airplane on the runway and established a landing roll. The ground speed was about 20 miles per hour and the airplane encountered another wind gust. The airplane weathervaned to the left and exited the left side of the runway, rolled into mud and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the rudder. The pilot reported that the wind at the time of the accident was variable at 5 knots and gusting to 8 knots. The METAR at the nearest airport was about 12 miles to the west of the accident site, and reported that about the time of the accident, the wind was out from 02 at 6 knots. The pilot landed the airplane on runway 25. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1916Z
- Reported as
- Darren M. Vinelli Sopwith PUP
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 001
- Built
- 2017
- Airframe hours
- 78
- Engine
- Lycoming O-290G, 125 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · April 28, 2018
- Departed
- O88 · Rio Vista, CA
- Destination
- O88 · Rio Vista, CA
- Airport
- O88 · Rio Vista Muni, runway 25, 4,199 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS
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
- 49
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 21, 2017
- Seat
- Center
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 535 total · 79 in this make and model · 459 as pilot in command · 17 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.14 inHg
- Observed at
- KSUU, 12 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 13, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.9 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.