- Date
- November 1, 2009, 07:15 local (15:15 UTC)
- Place
- Lewiston, ID
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N82213Piper PA-18-150
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR go-around: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 3, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Spokane FSDO
- FAA report
- 20091101021459A
- Case key
- 75033
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 delayed decision to execute a go-around in gusting winds and with up-sloping terrain.
Findings · 4
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, who was making a visual-flight-rules approach to an 800-foot-long remote airstrip, overflew the runway to observe the windsock. Because he observed the windsock hanging limp, he assumed that the winds around the runway were calm, and therefore continued his approach. About the time he reached the approach end of the uphill-sloping runway, the airplane encountered a strong tailwind gust, which pushed it "…too far up the strip to land." The pilot therefore executed a go-around, but his decision was "too late" and he was therefore unable to outclimb the terrain on the departure end of the runway. During the go-around sequence, the airplane's landing gear came in contact with brush and it flipped over onto its back. Ground witnesses told the pilot that all morning the winds had been variable in direction and had been changing rapidly from nearly calm to gusting as high as 20 miles per hour.
Factual narrative
The pilot, who was making a visual flight rules (VFR) approach to a 800-foot long remote airstrip, overflew the runway to observe the windsock. Because he observed the windsock hanging limp, he assumed that the winds around the runway were calm, and therefore continued his approach. About the time he reached the approach end of the uphill-sloping runway, the airplane encountered a strong tailwind gust which pushed it, "…too far up the strip to land." The pilot therefore executed a go-around, but his decision was "too late," and he was therefore unable to out-climb the terrain on the departure end of the runway. During the go-around sequence, the airplane's landing gear came in contact with low growing brush, and it flipped over onto its back. Ground witnesses told the pilot that all morning the winds had been variable in direction and had been changing rapidly from nearly calm to gusting as high as 20 miles per hour.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N82213
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-8009031
- Airframe hours
- 992
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- James J. Babb
- Registered owner
- The Solar Club, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 2, 2009
- Departed
- S80 · Grangeville, ID
- Destination
- 0ID8 · Grangeville, ID
- Airport
- 0ID8 · Pinnacle, runway 09, 800 × 50 ft, grass/turf
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
- 64
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 7, 2008
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 2,101 total · 567 in this make and model · 14 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 39 °F
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 20, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 651 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.
Other investigations on N82213 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.