- Date
- March 9, 2024, 10:39 local (18:39 UTC)
- Place
- Death Valley, CA · (L06) Furnace Creek
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N78659Piper PA-11
- 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
- 20240309003489A
- Case key
- 193918
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 rollout, resulting in a ground loop and runway excursion.
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 of the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that during the landing rollout and as the airplane slowed, rudder inputs became less effective. The airplane began to veer to the left, then departed the left side of the runway and ground looped. The airplane struck a runway sign located approximately 30 ft from the runway, and the fuselage sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N78659
- Reported as
- Piper PA-11
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 11-1420
- Built
- 1947
- Airframe hours
- 6,116
- Engine
- Continental C-85-12, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 21, 2023 · 21 hours before
- Departed
- KIYK · Inyokern, CA
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- L06 · Furnace Creek, runway 33, 3,065 × 70 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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
- Sport pilot, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 17, 2023
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 206 total · 103 in this make and model · 98 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 9 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 9 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.19 inHg
- Observed at
- KDRA, 42 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KDRA 091753Z AUTO 12009KT 10SM CLR 11/M13 A3019
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 29, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.8 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.
Other investigations on N78659 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.