- Date
- April 7, 1995, 16:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Tucson, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N333JSBellanca 7KCAB
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 19, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950407009379A
- Case key
- 29070
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 compensation for the prevailing wind conditions which resulted in an inadvertent ground loop. The crosswind and the pilot's lack of familiarity with the aircraft are factors in this accident.
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 airplane ground looped during the landing roll on runway 19. The pilot said that he failed to compensate for the prevailing crosswind and that the airplane did not experience any preimpact malfunctions or failures. The surface winds were from 210 degrees at 15 knots, gusting to 18 knots. The pilot had accrued 10 hours in the conventional gear airplane.
Factual narrative
On April 7, 1995, at 1600 hours mountain standard time, a Bellanca 7KCAB, N333JS, ground looped during the landing roll on runway 19 at La Cholla Airpark, Tucson, Arizona. The pilot was completing a local visual flight rules personal flight. The airplane, registered to and operated by Taildragger Pilots, Inc., Tucson, Arizona, sustained substantial damage. The certificated private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at La Cholla Airpark at 1530 hours.
The operator said in a telephone interview conducted on April 13, 1995, that the pilot failed to correct for prevailing crosswinds. The surface winds were from 210 degrees at 15 knots, gusting to 18 knots.
The pilot said in the aircraft accident report that he " . . . failed to maintain directional control . . . " and that he " . . . did not compensate for [the prevailing] crosswind . . . . " He also indicated that he accrued 10.2 hours in the accident airplane and that the airplane did not experience any preimpact malfunctions or failures.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N333JS
- Reported as
- Bellanca 7KCAB
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 612-77
- Airframe hours
- 2,165
- Engine
- Lycoming AEIO-320-E2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Taildragger Pilots, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Aerobatic; Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 2, 1994 · 57 hours before
- Departed
- 40E
- Airport
- 40E · La Cholla, runway 19, 4,500 × 0 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
- 28
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 120 total · 10 in this make and model · 50 as pilot in command · 11 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 15 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
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 N333JS · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.