Summary
On August 07, 2008, a Cosmos Phase II (N311RT) was involved in an accident near Carson City, NV. The accident resulted in 1 minor injury. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The pilot's inadequate compensation for the crosswind conditions. Contributing to the accident was the crosswind.
During his first supervised solo flight, the student pilot did three touch-and-go landings without incident. During his fourth landing, he encountered a slight crosswind from his left, which pushed the airplane about 30 feet right of the 75-foot wide asphalt runway. The student pilot attempted to realign the airplane over the runway but was unsuccessful. He then was able to align the airplane with a dirt area to the right of the runway just past his intended landing area. The student pilot decided to continue and land the airplane in the dirt area adjacent to the runway. At an altitude of about 10 feet above ground level, he noticed a pile of dirt directly in the flight path of the airplane, and attempted to go-around by applying full power.
This accident is documented in NTSB report SEA08CA173. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N311RT.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's inadequate compensation for the crosswind conditions. Contributing to the accident was the crosswind.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
During his first supervised solo flight, the student pilot did three touch-and-go landings without incident. During his fourth landing, he encountered a slight crosswind from his left, which pushed the airplane about 30 feet right of the 75-foot wide asphalt runway. The student pilot attempted to realign the airplane over the runway but was unsuccessful. He then was able to align the airplane with a dirt area to the right of the runway just past his intended landing area. The student pilot decided to continue and land the airplane in the dirt area adjacent to the runway. At an altitude of about 10 feet above ground level, he noticed a pile of dirt directly in the flight path of the airplane, and attempted to go-around by applying full power. Subsequently, the airplane touched down, impacted the pile of dirt, and nosed over. Examination of the airplane by the student pilot revealed that both wings and airframe were structurally damaged. The student pilot stated that there were no anomalies with the engine or airframe that would have precluded normal operation.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# SEA08CA173