- Date
- May 21, 1999, 14:12 local (18:12 UTC)
- Place
- Leesburg, VA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N78659Piper PA-11
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 3, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19990521028529A
- Case key
- 46437
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-in-command's (CFI) failure to maintain control of the airplane.
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 certified flight instructor was introducing the commercial pilot to tailwheel operations. The commercial pilot had accomplished approximately six landings in the airplane. During the next landing, the pilots experienced a crosswind, followed by a tailwind. The airplane stalled, bounced, and traveled off the left side of the runway. The instructor stated that he took control of the airplane, prevented a ground loop, but was unable to keep the airplane on the runway. The airplane struck a runway sign, causing substantial damage to the empennage.
Factual narrative
On May 21, 1999, about 1412 Eastern Daylight Time, a Piper PA-11, N78659, was substantially damaged during a landing at Leesburg Municipal/Godfrey Field Airport (JYO), Leesburg, Virginia. The certificated flight instructor and commercial pilot were not injured. Visual meteorological condition prevailed for the flight that originated from York Airport, York, Pennsylvania. No flight plan was filed for the instructional flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The instructor was introducing the commercial pilot to tailwheel operations, and the commercial pilot had accomplished approximately six landings in the airplane. The instructor stated that during the next landing, they experienced a sudden crosswind, followed by a tailwind. The airplane stalled, bounced, and traveled off the left side of the runway. The instructor further stated that he took control of the airplane, prevented a ground loop, but was unable to keep the airplane on the runway. The airplane struck a runway sign, causing substantial damage to the empennage.
The commercial pilot stated "...upon touchdown, the plane veered sharply to the left, going onto the grass and hitting a sign with the horizontal stabilizer. There was a slight crosswind on final, touchdown was normal, then the wind appeared to shift to a tailwind."
Examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration Inspector did not reveal any pre-impact mechanical malfunctions, nor did the pilots report any.
The approach was flown to Runway 35, a 5,500 foot long, 100 foot wide, asphalt runway. The reported winds at JYO, at 1400, were from 270 degrees at 5 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N78659
- Reported as
- Piper PA-11
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 11-1420
- Airframe hours
- 5,227
- Engine
- Continental C90-12F, 95 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- David Pearce
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 25, 1998 · 30 hours before
- Departed
- THV · York, PA
- Destination
- JYO
- Airport
- JYO · Leesburg Municipal, runway 35, 5,500 × 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
- 65
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 16,350 total · 2,500 in this make and model · 15,106 as pilot in command · 40 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- JYO
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 N78659 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.