- Date
- May 11, 2001, 16:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Apex, NV
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N465CAviat A-1B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 24, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA - Flt Standards Dist Office
- FAA report
- 20010511007309A
- Case key
- 52252
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 landing rollout in a gusty and crosswind condition.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot landed his airplane on a dry lake bed. During rollout a wind gust and crosswind was encountered, he lost directional control, and the airplane ground looped. The pilot estimated that the wind was between 12 and 20 knots.
Factual narrative
On May 11, 2001, about 1625 Pacific daylight time, an Aviat A-1B, N465C, ground looped during landing on the Apex dry lake bed, about 22 miles northeast of North Las Vegas, Nevada. The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot, and it was substantially damaged. Neither the private pilot nor passenger was injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed during the personal flight that was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated from North Las Vegas about 1430.
The pilot initially reported to the National Transportation Safety Board investigator that during landing he encountered a 12- to 15-knot wind gust. In his subsequent written statement he reported that the wind was 15 to 20 knots. The pilot also reported that during the landing roll, a wind gust and right crosswind was encountered, which resulted in his losing control of the airplane. The pilot stated that his airplane "got away from me." No mechanical malfunctions were reported.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N465C
- Reported as
- Aviat A-1B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2067
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1P, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Lester Hall
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 28, 2001
- Departed
- VGT · North Las Vegas, NV
- Destination
- Apex, NV
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
- 57
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 21, 1999
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 250 total · 75 in this make and model · 25 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 100 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.85 inHg
- Observed at
- VGT, 22 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.