- Date
- May 12, 2001, 11:17 local (18:17 UTC)
- Place
- Hollister, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4009BAeronca 7DC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 20, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration - FSDO
- FAA report
- 20010512010109A
- Case key
- 52253
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 inadequate aircraft handling procedure and failure to maintain directional control while landing in a known crosswind.
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
Approaching the airport, the pilot became aware that during landing on runway 31 he would encounter a left crosswind condition. The pilot landed with the airplane's left wing low to compensate for the crosswind. However, as the airplane decelerated it yawed right. The pilot's actions were inadequate to compensate for the surface wind that was from about 240 degrees, between 10 and 15 knots. Thereafter, the pilot lost directional control of his airplane. It veered right off the side of runway 31 and impacted a berm. The runway is 6,350 feet long and 100 feet wide.
Factual narrative
On May 12, 2001, about 1117 hours Pacific daylight time, an Aeronca 7DC, N4009B, owned and operated by the pilot, encountered a left crosswind during landing rollout at the Hollister Municipal Airport, Hollister, California. The airplane veered right off of runway 31, impacted a berm, and was substantially damaged. The private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the personal flight, and no flight plan was filed. The flight was performed under 14 CFR Part 91, and originated from Reid Hillview airport, San Jose, California, about 1045.
The pilot indicated that as he approached the airport traffic pattern he became aware that during landing he would encounter a left crosswind condition. The pilot estimated that the wind was from 240 degrees at 10 to 15 knots.
The pilot additionally reported that he landed with the airplane's left wing low to compensate for the left crosswind. However, as the airplane decelerated it yawed right. Despite all his efforts he lost directional control. Runway 31 is 6,350 feet long and 100 feet wide.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4009B
- Reported as
- Aeronca 7DC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7BCM-380
- Airframe hours
- 2,791
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-C1, 108 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Jon Miller
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 6, 2001 · 11 hours before
- Departed
- RHV · San Jose, CA
- Destination
- 3O7 · Hollister, CA
- Airport
- 3O7 · Holister Municipal, runway 31, 6,350 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- 43
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- March 8, 2001
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 405 total · 184 in this make and model · 281 as pilot in command · 23 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.94 inHg
- Observed at
- RHV, 33 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.