- Date
- June 28, 2023, 12:50 local (18:50 UTC)
- Place
- Big Creek Ranger Station, ID · Mountain air strip
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N510USBlack Sheep CCX-1865
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: 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
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20230628008319A
- Case key
- 192488
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 identify the wet landing surface and his subsequent inability to maintain directional control and stop during landing on the unimproved grass runway, which resulted in a runway excursion and unintentional ground loop.
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 of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that he conducted multiple passes over the landing area to assess the landing conditions and did not see that the grass surface was wet. Upon touchdown, he noticed the airplane did not decelerate as expected due to wet tires, and the brakes had little effect. The airplane veered off its intended path, heading toward steep downhill terrain. To prevent continuing uncontrollably downhill, the pilot attempted an intentional ground loop by applying full right rudder and power. Subsequently, the airplane tipped left and stopped before reaching the steeper terrain, resulting in substantial damage to the left aileron and left elevator. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N510US
- Reported as
- Black Sheep CCX-1865
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- CCX-1865-0007
- Built
- 2016
- Airframe hours
- 435
- Engine
- Titan CC340, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · February 16, 2023 · 27 hours before
- Departed
- 3U2 · Yellow Pine, ID
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- n/a · Mile Hi
- Equipment
- Auto-pilot, Angle of attack indicator, ADS-B, Stall warning system, Satellite tracking device, Onboard weather, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display
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
- 47
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 28, 2022
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 8,800 total · 425 in this make and model · 5,000 as pilot in command · 240 in the last 90 days · 45 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,900 ft broken
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.07 inHg
- Observed at
- KMYL, 49 nm away
- METAR
- KMYL 281851Z AUTO 08007KT 10SM FEW023 BKN049 BKN080 15/09 A3007 RMK AO2 LTG DSNT SW RAB36E50 SLP160 P0000 T01500094 $
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 2, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.6 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.