- Date
- August 13, 1997, 14:27 local (21:27 UTC)
- Place
- Hillsboro, OR
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N76233Cessna 140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 6, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970813022159A
- Case key
- 42673
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.
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
During the landing roll on runway 30, the pilot lost control of the tailwheel-equipped Cessna 140 and departed the left side of the runway, ground looping. He reported that both flight following and the Hillsboro tower advised him of calm winds prior to landing and that during the landing a 'wind gust blew hard to the left.' Wind reports taken at the Hillsboro airport reported calm winds five minutes after the accident as well as throughout the morning and early afternoon hours with the exception of variable winds of 4 and 5 knots at 1350 and 1250 hours respectively. An FAA inspector assigned at the Hillsboro airport reported the weather conditions as a 'sultry day' with calm winds. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunction with the aircraft.
Factual narrative
On August 13, 1997, at 1427 hours Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 140, N76233, registered to Barbara L. Baker, and being flown by a private pilot, was substantially damaged during a loss of control during landing at the Portland- Hillsboro airport, Hillsboro, Oregon. The pilot and his wife were uninjured. Visual meteorological conditions existed at the time and a VFR flight plan had been filed for the flight. The flight, which was personal, was to have been operated under 14CFR91, and had departed Eugene, Oregon, at 1230 on the day of the accident.
The pilot reported that upon arrival in the Hillsboro area the "wind advisory from both flight following and (the) tower were winds calm, 30 in use." He entered a left base for runway 30, was cleared to land and executed a "normal 3 point landing @ ~ 45 mph" during which a "wind gust blew hard to the left." The pilot further reported that he "tried (sic) to stay on (the) runway" and then "entered a ground loop leaving (the) runway to (the) left."
Aviation surface weather observations taken at the Hillsboro airport reported winds as follows:
TIME WINDS 1547 calm 1455 calm 1432 calm 1350 variable at 4 knots 1250 variable at 5 knots 1155 calm 1047 calm 949 calm 855 calm 753 calm
An Inspector assigned to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Flight Standards District Office at the Hillsboro airport, and who was on site at the time of the accident reported the weather conditions as a "sultry day" with calm winds.
The pilot reported that there was no mechanical malfunction with the aircraft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N76233
- Reported as
- Cessna 140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 10636
- Airframe hours
- 2,814
- Engine
- Continental C-90-12F, 90 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Baker, Gary, H.
- Registered owner
- Baker, Barbara, L.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 3, 1997 · 35 hours before
- Departed
- EUG · Eugene, OR
- Destination
- HIO
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- HIO · Portland-Hillsboro, runway 30, 6,600 × 150 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
- 52
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 213 total · 173 in this make and model · 135 as pilot in command · 46 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- HIO
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.