- Date
- August 15, 2009, 13:48 local (20:48 UTC)
- Place
- El Cajon, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4385EAeronca 11CC
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 19, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Adminstration
- FAA report
- 20090815016989A
- Case key
- 74537
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 conditions and failure to maintain directional control while landing.
Findings · 3
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
The pilot was returning from a local area flight to a neighboring airport and he was aware that a crosswind existed for the landing. During the landing roll out, the airplane started to fishtail and the pilot attempted to execute a go-around by applying full power. When the airplane reached an airspeed of about 40-45 mph it encountered a gust of wind from the left side, which lifted the left wing and caused the airplane to veer to the right side of the runway. The airplane then ground looped. The ground loop resulted in damage to the main landing gear attach points and to the fuselage structure. The pilot did not report experiencing any mechanical malfunction with the airplane during the accident flight.
Factual narrative
The pilot was returning from a local area flight to a neighboring airport and he was aware that a crosswind existed for the landing. During the landing roll out, the airplane started to fishtail and the pilot attempted to execute a go-around by applying full power. When the airplane reached an airspeed of about 40-45 mph it encountered a gust of wind from the left side, which lifted the left wing and caused the airplane to veer to the right side of the runway. The airplane then ground looped. The ground loop resulted in damage to the main landing gear attach points and to the fuselage structure. The pilot did not report experiencing any mechanical malfunction with the airplane during the accident flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4385E
- Reported as
- Aeronca 11CC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 11CC-201
- Engine
- Cont Motor C85 SERIES, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 1, 2009 · 3 hours before
- Departed
- SDM · San Diego, CA
- Destination
- SEE · San Diego, CA
- Airport
- SEE · Gillespie Field Airport, runway 27R, 5,341 × 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
- 47
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 11, 2009
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 311 total · 72 in this make and model · 163 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- SEE
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 17, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 313 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.