Summary
On June 21, 2012, a Edson Robert W PIETENPOL AIR CAMPER (N53WE) was involved in an incident near Point Lookout, MO. 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 maintain directional control during landing, resulting in a ground-loop.
On the fourth landing of a test flight, the airplane made a hard, full stall landing and began drifting to the right. The pilot applied left rudder pedal to arrest the drift and the airplane ground looped 180 degrees to the left. The pilot applied right rudder to stop the left swing but to no avail. The right main landing gear went off the side of the runway and down a 2-foot drop-off. The right wing tip struck the ground, breaking the wing tip and front and rear wing spars. The aircraft came to rest off the side of the runway, pointed west down runway 30.
At 0745, Branson Airport (KBBG) AWOS, located about 7 nautical miles south of Point Lookout, reported wind 310 degrees at 9 knots, with gusts to 26 knots. The pilot said that at the time of the accident, the winds were calm.
This incident is documented in NTSB report CEN12CA399. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N53WE.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing, resulting in a ground-loop.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
On the fourth landing of a test flight, the airplane made a hard, full stall landing and began drifting to the right. The pilot applied left rudder pedal to arrest the drift and the airplane ground looped 180 degrees to the left. The pilot applied right rudder to stop the left swing but to no avail. The right main landing gear went off the side of the runway and down a 2-foot drop-off. The right wing tip struck the ground, breaking the wing tip and front and rear wing spars. The aircraft came to rest off the side of the runway, pointed west down runway 30.
At 0745, Branson Airport (KBBG) AWOS, located about 7 nautical miles south of Point Lookout, reported wind 310 degrees at 9 knots, with gusts to 26 knots. The pilot said that at the time of the accident, the winds were calm.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CEN12CA399