- Date
- June 19, 2009, 19:15 local (Jun 20, 2009, 02:15 UTC)
- Place
- Olympia, WA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9793ZNorth American/Victoria MNT LT AT-6A
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Runway excursion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 10, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20090619009649A
- Case key
- 74086
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 crosswind gust and failure to maintain directional control while landing.
Findings · 5
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
While making a three-point landing in his tailwheel-equipped airplane, the pilot encountered a strong crosswind gust about the same time that he was initiating the landing flare. Because the pilot was unable to compensate for the wind gust, the airplane touched down with its right main landing gear beyond the right edge of the runway. The pilot saw that the airplane was approaching a runway sign, so he added power in order to execute a go-around, but the right wing impacted the sign before he could get it airborne. Immediately after the airplane impacted the sign, the pilot cut the power and aborted the go-around. The airplane's right wing and its fuselage both sustained substantial damage. The pilot stated that there were no problems with any of the airplane's control systems. The reported wind conditions included wind gusts up to 18 knots at the time of the accident.
Factual narrative
While making a three-point landing in his tailwheel-equipped airplane, the pilot encountered a strong crosswind gust about the same time as he was initiating the landing flare. Because the pilot was unable to compensate for the wind gust, the airplane touched down with its right main landing gear beyond the right edge of the runway. The pilot saw that the airplane was approaching a runway sign, so he added power in order to execute a go-around, but the right wing impacted the sign before he could get it airborne. Immediately after the airplane impacted the sign, the pilot cut the power and aborted the go-around. The airplane's right wing and its fuselage both sustained substantial damage. The pilot stated that there were no problems with any of the airplane's control systems. The reported wind conditions included wind gusts up to 18 knots at the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9793Z
- Reported as
- North American/Victoria MNT LT AT-6A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 75-3048
- Airframe hours
- 8,261
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney R1340, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Koelbel John D
- Registered owner
- Koelbel John D
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 17, 2009
- Departed
- KELN · Elllensburg, WA
- Destination
- KOLM · Olympia, WA
- Airport
- KOLM · Olympia, runway 26, 4,157 × 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
- 65
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 8, 2008
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 7,000 total · 300 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 11 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.90 inHg
- Observed at
- KOLM
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 24, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 579 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.