- Date
- January 24, 2025, 10:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Vacaville, CA · airport environment
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N730CSCharles E Spencer CCK-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
- 20250124004739A
- Case key
- 199612
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 reported that he performed a 3-point landing, and during the landing roll, the airplane began to veer to the right. The pilot attempted to correct with opposite brake however the airplane ground looped to the right and subsequently exited the right side of the runway. During the ground loop, the left wing struck the ground and sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. At the time of the accident, the pilot was landing the airplane on runway 02 with wind from 040° at 5 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N730CS
- Reported as
- Charles E Spencer CCK-1865
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- CCK-1865-1076
- Built
- 2022
- Airframe hours
- 59.2
- Engine
- Continental Aerospace OX340CCB3J3N4, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · July 20, 2024
- Airport
- VCB · Nut Tree, runway 02/20, 4,700 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display, Auto-pilot, Angle of attack indicator, ADS-B, Stall warning system
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
- 79
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 9, 2024
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 819 total · 68 in this make and model · 912 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 40° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.14 inHg
- Observed at
- KVCB
- METAR
- KVCB 241853Z AUTO 04005KT 10SM CLR 13/03 A3014 RMK AO2 SLP204 T01280033
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 5, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.0 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.