Summary
On December 26, 2012, a Mckay Gene RV-9A (N281MC) was involved in an accident near Brunswick, GA. The accident resulted in 2 minor injuries. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control while landing in gusting wind conditions.
According to the pilot, the airplane owner and he were returning from a cross country flight. As they approached their destination airport, the pilot received a radio call from an airplane that reported leaving the pattern at the destination airport due to the winds. The pilot continued his approach to land on runway 34; however, he later aborted his landing due to strong crosswinds. After obtaining current winds from the airport’s universal communications frequency, he elected to attempt a landing on runway 22. After the airplane crossed the airport perimeter fence it was struck by a gust of wind. The airplane’s nose impacted the ground and the airplane subsequently skidded down the left side of the runway before coming to rest.
This accident is documented in NTSB report ERA13CA098. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N281MC.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control while landing in gusting wind conditions.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
According to the pilot, the airplane owner and he were returning from a cross country flight. As they approached their destination airport, the pilot received a radio call from an airplane that reported leaving the pattern at the destination airport due to the winds. The pilot continued his approach to land on runway 34; however, he later aborted his landing due to strong crosswinds. After obtaining current winds from the airport’s universal communications frequency, he elected to attempt a landing on runway 22. After the airplane crossed the airport perimeter fence it was struck by a gust of wind. The airplane’s nose impacted the ground and the airplane subsequently skidded down the left side of the runway before coming to rest. A post-crash fire consumed much of the wreckage with the exception of the empennage and outboard sections of both wings. According to a local weather observation facility, the recorded winds at the time of the accident were from 260 degrees at 18 knots gusting to 26 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# ERA13CA098