- Date
- July 21, 2012, 16:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Bremerton, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N216VAerotrek A220
- Defining event
- Landing-aborted after touchdown: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 5, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20120721014689A
- Case key
- 84517
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 airplane control during an attempted go-around in gusting wind conditions.
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
The pilot reported that after touchdown in the tailwheel-equipped airplane a gust of wind lifted the airplane’s right wing, turning it to the left. The pilot added full power to attempt a go-around; however, the airplane continued to the left and became airborne about 90 degrees from the runway heading. The airplane touched back down on the grass and collided with a ditch, which resulted in substantial damage to the firewall. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that after touchdown in the tailwheel equipped airplane, a gust of wind lifted the airplane’s right wing, turning it to the left. The pilot added full power to attempt a go-around; however, the airplane continued to the left and became airborne approximately 90 degrees from runway heading. The airplane touched back down on the grass and collided with a ditch, which resulted in substantial damage to the firewall. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operations.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N216V
- Reported as
- Aerotrek A220
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 35212
- Airframe hours
- 44
- Engine
- Rotax 912 ULS 2, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Michael L Hersey
- Registered owner
- Michael L Hersey
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- AAIP · July 7, 2012
- Departed
- FHR · Friday Harbor, WA
- Destination
- PWT · Bremerton, WA
- Airport
- PWT · Bremerton National Airport, runway 19, 6,000 × 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
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 9, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,004 total · 44 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.10 inHg
- Observed at
- PWT
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 4, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 479 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.