Summary
On August 03, 2014, a Great Lakes 2T 1A 2 (N80AM) was involved in an accident near Frankfort, MI. 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 improper recovery from a bounced landing in gusty, crosswind conditions. Contributing to the accident was the pilot lack of recent tail wheel landing experience.
The pilot maneuvered the airplane to land on runway 33 at the destination airport. Wind was from 230 at 9 knots gusting to 15 knots. During the landing flare, the airplane landed hard and bounced. The nose of the airplane shifted 30 degrees from the runway heading so the pilot applied full power to perform a go-around. The left wing dropped and collided with terrain. The airplane was substantially damaged to the wings and fuselage. The pilot reported that he did not have recent experience in his tail wheel airplane. In addition, the pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane prior to the accident.
This accident is documented in NTSB report CEN14CA428. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N80AM.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing in gusty, crosswind conditions. Contributing to the accident was the pilot lack of recent tail wheel landing experience.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
The pilot maneuvered the airplane to land on runway 33 at the destination airport. Wind was from 230 at 9 knots gusting to 15 knots. During the landing flare, the airplane landed hard and bounced. The nose of the airplane shifted 30 degrees from the runway heading so the pilot applied full power to perform a go-around. The left wing dropped and collided with terrain. The airplane was substantially damaged to the wings and fuselage. The pilot reported that he did not have recent experience in his tail wheel airplane. In addition, the pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane prior to the accident.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CEN14CA428