- Date
- June 5, 2019, 11:20 local (16:20 UTC)
- Place
- Paducah, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N78641Piper PA 11
- Defining event
- Landing: 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
- 20190605005919A
- Case key
- 99561
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 on a road in crosswind conditions, which resulted in the airplane exiting the road and subsequently nosing over.
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 of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that he was concerned about the condition of the landing and taxi surfaces of the private, grass airstrip due to heavy rainfall. He overflew the field but was unable to determine the condition. He determined that it would be safer to land on a road perpendicular to the runway. Upon landing on the road, the airplane suddenly veered right. The pilot applied opposite rudder, but the airplane exited the road and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing lift strut and rudder. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that the wind was from 360° at 7 knots. The pilot was landing the airplane to the west.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that he was concerned about the condition of the landing and taxi surfaces of the private, grass airstrip due to heavy rainfall. He over flew the field but was unable to determine the condition. He determined it would be safer to land on the "Farm Road" perpendicular to the runway. Upon landing on the road, the airplane suddenly veered to the right, he applied opposite rudder, but the airplane exited the road, and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing lift strut and rudder. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that the wind was from 360° at 7 knots. The airplane was landing to the west.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N78641
- Reported as
- Piper PA 11 (No Series)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 11-1402
- Built
- 1947
- Airframe hours
- 1,547.9
- Engine
- Continental O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 2019
- Departed
- LBB · Lubbock, TX
- Destination
- 2TS5 · Paducah, TX
- Airport
- 2TS5 · Paducah
- 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
- 71
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight engineer
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- BasicMed
- Last flight review
- June 4, 2019
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 7,000 total · 36 in this make and model · 4 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.87 inHg
- Observed at
- KCDS, 24 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 2, 2019, 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.