- Date
- April 4, 2019, 18:10 local (23:10 UTC)
- Place
- Fort Worth, TX
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N801RZenair Zenith CH 801
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 13, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190404002519A
- Case key
- 99230
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 lateral control in flight and his subsequent loss of directional control during landing with a crosswind, which resulted in a runway excursion and impact with terrain.
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, while on short final, about 50 ft above ground level, the airplane rolled about 30º to the left. He applied full right aileron and leveled the airplane about 2 ft above ground level, but the airplane descended onto the runway, exited the runway to the left, and impacted terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. 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 on short final, about 50 feet above the ground, the airplane rolled about 30º to the left. He applied full right aileron and leveled the airplane about a couple feet above the ground, but the airplane descended on to the runway, exited the runway to the left, and impacted terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the both wings and fuselage. 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 an airport about 5 NM away reported that, about 15 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 050° at 16 knots. The pilot reported the wind was 050º at 10 knots, gusting up to 20 knots. The weight-shift control aircraft landed on runway 25.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N801R
- Reported as
- Zenair Zenith CH 801 (No Series)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 8-4296
- Built
- 2005
- Airframe hours
- 445
- Engine
- Superior XP-0-360-A1A2, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · December 31, 2018
- Departed
- T67 · Fort Worth, TX
- Destination
- T67 · Fort Worth, TX
- Airport
- T67 · Hicks Airfield, runway 32, 3,740 × 60 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Stall warning system, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Auto-pilot, Angle of attack indicator
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
- 67
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 27, 2015
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 729 total · 445 in this make and model · 686 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 16 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.90 inHg
- Observed at
- KAFW, 5 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 5, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.3 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.