# NTSB NYC00LA163: Pratt Falcon XP, N544AA, Montgomery, NY, June 11, 2000 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: June 11, 2000, 15:30 local (19:30 UTC) - Place: Montgomery, NY - Coordinates: 41.520401, -74.229476 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.5204&lon=-74.2295&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Taxi](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/250) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report March 2, 2001 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 49433 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=NYC00LA163 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/49433/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC00LA163 ## Probable cause The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane while taxiing. Factors related to the accident were the gusting wind conditions and the pilot's improper weather evaluation. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - on ground/water, taxi - weather condition - gusts (contributing factor) - weather evaluation - improper, pilot in command (contributing factor) - aircraft control - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) ## Analysis While the pilot was taxiing, he realized that the wind was blowing from a direction behind the airplane and 'my indicator showed no froward air movement although I was doing 45 mph.' Dust and grass blew by the airplane, and the controls were being forced from behind. As the pilot made a 180-degree right hand turn on the taxiway to the ramp, a squall pushed the airplane sideways, lifted the right wing up, and rotated the airplane on the left wing tip. The airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. The pilot estimated that the winds at the time of the accident were in excess of 60 mph. The winds reported at the airport, at 1454, were from 260 degrees at 8 knots, gusts to 18 knots, variable from 220 degrees to 280 degrees. ## Factual narrative On June 11, 2000, about 1530 Eastern Daylight Time, a homebuilt Falcon XP, N544AA, was substantially damaged while taxiing at the Orange County Airport, Montgomery, New York. The certificated private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. According to the pilot, he had been conducting functional tests on the airplane in the airport traffic pattern. After landing, the pilot observed signs of thunderstorms in the area, and decided to make two shorter flights down the length of the "shorter, active runway." When the two flights were completed, the airplane was taxied back toward the ramp area. While taxiing, the pilot realized that the wind, which was blowing from a direction behind the airpane, began to increase and "my indicator showed no froward air movement although I was doing 45 mph." Dust and grass started to blow by the airplane, and the controls were being forced from behind. As the pilot made a 180-degree right hand turn on the taxiway to the ramp, a squall pushed the airplane sideways, lifted the right wing up, and rotated the airplane on the left wing tip. The airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. The pilot estimated that the winds at the time of the accident were in excess of 60 mph. The winds reported at the airport, at 1454, were from 260 degrees at 8 knots, gusts to 18 knots, variable from 220 degrees to 280 degrees. The winds reported at an airport 7 miles to the east of MGJ, at 1515, were from 320 degrees at 14 knots, gusts to 20 knots. At 1545, the winds were from 320 at 12 knots. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N544AA](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N544AA-2003-07-28), registration cancelled 2003-07-28, S/N 600166, built 1985 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Pratt FALCON XP - Registry model: [Pratt John A FALCON XP](https://openairdocs.org/model/pratt-john-a-falcon-xp) (registry code 05658PN) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Bombardier ROTAX (ALL)](https://openairdocs.org/engine/bombardier-rotax-all) (registry code 09050, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane, amateur-built - Serial number: 600166 - Airframe hours: 313 - Engines: Rotax 503 50 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Michel Fithian - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: Annual, May 13, 2000, 3 hours before - Departed: MGJ - Airport: MGJ, Orange County Airport ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 59; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: front; flight hours: 841 total, 400 in this make and model, 740 as pilot in command, 3 in the last 90 days, 3 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 260° at 8 knots, gusting 18 - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 91 °F, dew point 70 °F - Altimeter: 29.00 inHg - Observed at: MGJ ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20000611043689A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000611043689A), Jun 11, 2000: Amtr FALCONXP, Montgomery, NY, Destroyed. (-23) This report was made by Mr. Fithian by telephone to inspector john ho of the teterboro FSDO on 6/10/00. A faxed statement was sent to this office… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.