Summary
On October 13, 2006, a Aeronca 65-TAC (N36687) was involved in an incident near Fredricksburg, TX. All 2 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's failure to compensate for the existing wind conditions. A contributing factor was the prevailing crosswind.
The 1,019-hour private pilot lost control of the tailwheel-equipped airplane after encountering a wind shift while landing on runway 14. The pilot reported that after checking the automated weather service station and windsock at the arrival airport, he attempted to land the single-engine airplane with a prevailing right crosswind on the dry 5,002-foot long asphalt runway. The pilot reported holding the proper control inputs to correct for the crosswind and suddenly encountering a wind shift from the left. The pilot indicated in the accident report (NTSB Form 6120.1), that after the main wheels touched down, the left wing lifted and the nose of the airplane turned left into the wind.
This incident is documented in NTSB report DFW07CA013. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N36687.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's failure to compensate for the existing wind conditions. A contributing factor was the prevailing crosswind.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
The 1,019-hour private pilot lost control of the tailwheel-equipped airplane after encountering a wind shift while landing on runway 14. The pilot reported that after checking the automated weather service station and windsock at the arrival airport, he attempted to land the single-engine airplane with a prevailing right crosswind on the dry 5,002-foot long asphalt runway. The pilot reported holding the proper control inputs to correct for the crosswind and suddenly encountering a wind shift from the left. The pilot indicated in the accident report (NTSB Form 6120.1), that after the main wheels touched down, the left wing lifted and the nose of the airplane turned left into the wind. The airplane then exited the left side of the 75-foot wide runway and initiated a ground loop on the wet grass adjacent to the runway. The fuselage of the airplane sustained structural damage and the pilot and passenger were not injured. The automated weather observation station on the field reported scattered skies with 10 miles visibility, with winds from 270 degrees at 6 knots.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# DFW07CA013