- Date
- September 3, 2012, 10:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Spanish Fork, UT
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N61819Champion 7GC
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 11, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20120903017909A
- Case key
- 84936
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 the landing roll.
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 was performing touch-and-go takeoffs and landings for proficiency. On the last rollout, the pilot relaxed for a brief moment, and the airplane started to veer to the left; the pilot was unable to recover. The airplane ground looped and the landing gear collapsed. The propeller contacted the ground, the right wing tip struck the pavement, and the tailwheel attachment was bent. The pilot said the accident could have been prevented if he had been more proficient in tailwheel-equipped airplanes. He reported 3 hours within the last 90 days.
Factual narrative
The pilot was performing touch-and-go landings for proficiency. On the last roll-out, he relaxed for a brief moment. The airplane started to veer to the left, and the pilot was unable to recover. It ground looped to the left; one landing gear collapsed, the propeller contacted the ground, the right wing tip struck the pavement, and the tail wheel attachment was bent.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N61819
- Reported as
- Champion 7GC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7GC-78
- Engine
- Lycoming O-290-D2, 135 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Floyd Richey
- Registered owner
- Daniel W Young
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- U77 · Spanish Fork, UT
- Destination
- U77 · Spanish Fork, UT
- Airport
- U77 · Spanish Fork Springvile Metro, runway 12, 6,700 × 300 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
- 74
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Flight engineer, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 15,000 total · 311 in this make and model · 6,000 as pilot in command · 175 in the last 90 days · 55 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.20 inHg
- Observed at
- KPVU
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 15, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.2 MB 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.