- Date
- March 7, 2019, 10:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Marysville, OH
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N102XPJames A Gray Just Aircraft
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 6, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190307000969A
- Case key
- 99071
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 student pilot's improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard, bounced landing, and his subsequent failure to maintain directional control, which resulted in a runway excursion and ground loop.
Findings · 3
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 student pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, while practicing takeoff and landings, the airplane landed hard with "a big bounce," and the right wing came up. He attempted to correct by adding power and initiating a go-around. Subsequently, the airplane ground looped, exited the runway, and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The airport's automated weather reporting station reported that, about 15 minutes after the accident, the wind was from 300° at 5 knots and that visibility was 10 statute miles. The pilot landed the airplane on runway 26.
Factual narrative
The student pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, while practicing takeoff and landings, landed hard with "a big bounce" and the right wing came up. He attempted to correct by adding power and initiating a go-around. Subsequently the airplane then ground looped, exited the runway and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact 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 15 minutes after the accident, the wind was from 300° at 2 knots and visibility was 10 statute miles. The airplane was landing runway 26.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N102XP
- Reported as
- James A Gray Just Aircraft (Highlander)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- JA204-04-10
- Built
- 2013
- Airframe hours
- 90
- Engine
- Jabiru 3300, 120 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · August 15, 2018
- Departed
- MRT · Marysville, OH
- Destination
- MRT · Marysville, OH
- Airport
- MRT · Union County, runway 26, 2,702 × 81 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Electronic primary flight display, 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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 62
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 163 total · 101 in this make and model · 36 as pilot in command · 23 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 27 °F, dew point 16 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.35 inHg
- Observed at
- KMRT
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 1, 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.
Other investigations on N102XP · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.