- Date
- May 16, 2013, 20:30 local (May 17, 2013, 03:30 UTC)
- Place
- Lynden, WA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N928VSSwanson Tiger Moth 80
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Loss of visual reference
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report July 23, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20130516008869A
- Case key
- 86931
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 clearance from trees during final approach and his obscured vision due to the sun glare.
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 reported that following an uneventful flight, he noted that the wind favored landing to the west, into the sun. During final approach to the runway, the pilot's view of the runway was obscured by the sun glare, however, he "thought I would get through the blind spot" and elected not to abort the landing. Subsequently, the right wing of the airplane struck a tree and the airplane impacted the ground, which resulted in structural damage to both the upper and lower left and right wings, and forward portion of the fuselage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Official sunset was about 17 minutes after the time of the accident.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that following an uneventful flight, he noted that the wind favored landing to the west, into the sun. During final approach to the runway, the pilot's view of the runway was obscured by the sun glare, however, he "thought I would get through the blind spot" and elected not to abort the landing. Subsequently, the right wing of the airplane struck a tree and the airplane impacted the ground, which resulted in structural damage to both the upper and lower left and right wings, and forward portion of the fuselage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Official sunset was about 17 minutes after the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N928VS
- Reported as
- Swanson Tiger Moth 80
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- TM44
- Engine
- Jabiru 3300, 120 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- 38W · Lynden, WA
- Destination
- 38W · Lynden, WA
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- 38W · Lynden Airport, runway 07, 2,425 × 40 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
- 78
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Flight hours
- 281 total · 185 in this make and model · 5 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.89 inHg
- Observed at
- BLI, 10 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 14, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 96 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.