- Date
- July 5, 2011, 14:15 local (20:15 UTC)
- Place
- Whitefish, MT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N40WPCubcrafters CC11-160
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 4, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION
- FAA report
- 20110705011929A
- Case key
- 80998
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. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of recent experience in a tailwheel equipped airplane.
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 reported that he was on a personal flight in a tailwheel equipped airplane that he was planning on purchasing. Having not flown an airplane with a tailwheel in approximately 10 years, the pilot flew several low approaches over the grass runway. The pilot stated that during his fifth approach he still did not feel comfortable controlling the airplane, but was slow and close to the ground so he chose to attempt the landing. On landing, the airplane began to slide to the left at which point the pilot stated that he lost control of the airplane. Still in a slide, the airplane departed the runway, struck a barbed wire fence and nosed over. The rudder sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he was on a personal flight in a tailwheel equipped airplane that he was planning on purchasing. Having not flown an airplane with a tailwheel in approximately 10 years, the pilot flew several low approaches over the grass runway. The pilot stated that during his 5th approach he still did not feel comfortable controlling the airplane, but was slow and close to the ground so he chose to attempt the landing. On landing, the airplane began to slide to the left at which point the pilot stated that he lost control of the airplane. Still in a slide, the airplane departed the runway, struck a barbed wire fence, nosed over inverted and came to rest. The rudder sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N40WP
- Reported as
- Cubcrafters CC11-160
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- CC11-00140
- Airframe hours
- 19
- Engine
- Cub Crafter CC340, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Alocin Ventures LLC
- Registered owner
- Alocin Ventures LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 29, 2011 · 1 hours before
- Departed
- KGPI · Kalispell, MT
- Destination
- 58S · Whitefish, MT
- Airport
- 58S · Whitefish, runway 29, 2,560 × 75 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
- 73
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 23, 2011
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 2,197 total · 1 in this make and model · 2,065 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 103° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- KGPI, 6 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 29, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 401 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.