- Date
- June 21, 2023, 16:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Truckee, CA · TRK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N356AWJohn Topliff PA18-200EXP
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20230621013139A
- Case key
- 192422
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 loss of directional control on landing roll out, during variable wind conditions.
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 of the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that he had been approved by air traffic control (ATC), to enter the traffic pattern for runway 11. On final approach, ATC advised the pilot that the wind had changed, and suggested a straight in approach to land runway 02. The pilot accepted the suggestion and clearance to land runway 02. The airplane touched down on its main landing gear and as the tailwheel settled to the ground, the tail “was pushed around.” The airplane ground looped and came to a stop in the grass beside the runway. Once on the ground, the pilot noticed that multiple windsocks on the airport were displaying different wind directions and suspected the airplane had encountered a strong crosswind. The left wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N356AW
- Reported as
- John Topliff PA18-200EXP
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- PA-18-200-1-JT
- Built
- 2013
- Airframe hours
- 465.7
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A1A, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · August 6, 2022
- Departed
- 027 · Oakdale, CA
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- TRK · Truckee-Tahoe, runway 02, 4,654 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display, Handheld GPS, Onboard weather, Satellite tracking device, Stall warning system, Auto-pilot, Angle of attack indicator, ADS-B
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
- 68
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 20, 2022
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 320 total · 31 in this make and model · 9 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 5 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.11 inHg
- Turbulence
- Light
- Observed at
- KTRK
- METAR
- KTRK 212250Z COR VRB05KT 10SM FEW060 19/M04 A3011=
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 26, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.3 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.