Summary
On February 28, 2020, a Cubcrafters FX-3 (N3XC) was involved in an incident near Sonoma/schellville, CA. 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 inadvertent activation of the left brake during the landing roll, which resulted in a loss of directional control, a runway excursion, and collision with a ditch.
The pilot reported that during a wheel landing in the tailwheel equipped airplane, he inadvertently applied left brake pressure and the airplane veered off the edge of the runway into tall grass. Corrective action was ineffective and the airplane subsequently collided with an irrigation ditch, substantially damaging the nose and firewall.
The pilot reported that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
This incident is documented in NTSB report WPR20CA103. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N3XC.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's inadvertent activation of the left brake during the landing roll, which resulted in a loss of directional control, a runway excursion, and collision with a ditch.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
The pilot reported that during a wheel landing in the tailwheel equipped airplane, he inadvertently applied left brake pressure and the airplane veered off the edge of the runway into tall grass. Corrective action was ineffective and the airplane subsequently collided with an irrigation ditch, substantially damaging the nose and firewall.
The pilot reported that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane 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# WPR20CA103