- Date
- July 15, 2009, 09:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Laurel, MT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N4276MCox John Wiley Kitfox III
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Runway excursion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- Case key
- 74306
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 an attempted go-around from a landing.
Findings · 2
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 performing a series of touch-and-go landings, the pilot inadvertently allowed the tail wheel-equipped airplane to touch down with one wing lower than the other. Almost immediately after the airplane touched the surface, it suddenly veered toward the edge of the runway. The pilot added power in an attempt to execute a go-around, but before he could get the airplane airborne, it departed the runway surface and impacted the adjacent terrain.
Factual narrative
While performing a series of touch-and-go landings, the pilot inadvertently allowed the tail wheel-equipped airplane to touch down with one wing lower than the other. Almost immediately after the airplane touched the surface, it suddenly veered toward the edge of the runway. The pilot therefore added power in an attempt to execute a go-around, but before he could get the airplane airborne, it departed the runway and impacted the adjacent terrain.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4276M
- Reported as
- Cox John Wiley Kitfox III
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1165
- Engine
- Bombardier ROTAX (ALL), reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Glasgow Gary E
- Registered owner
- Glasgow Gary E
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- 6S8 · Laurel, MT
- Destination
- 6S8 · Laurel, MT
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- 6S8 · Laurel Municipal, runway 22, 5,200 × 75 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
- 67
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Flight hours
- 150 total · 30 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 24, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 671 KB in all.