Pilot Debrief

COMMONWEALTH 185 near Burlington, WA — 2013-08-08

Final reportWPR13LA364
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Date
2013-08-08
Location
Burlington, WA, USA
Airport
BVS
Aircraft
COMMONWEALTH 185
Registration
N67045
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Landing

Probable cause

The pilot's inadequate control inputs during a crosswind landing, which resulted in a hard landing and loss of directional control.

NTSB narrative

The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane was landing in a 6-knot, 40-degree crosswind at the conclusion of a local flight. The pilot stated that, during the landing roll, a wind gust picked up the left wing, which lifted the left main wheel off the ground. The left main wheel then touched down hard, and the airplane swerved aggressively to the left. The airplane departed the asphalt surface and nosed over when it contacted the adjacent grass. During postaccident repair of the airplane, a mechanic reported that an interior footwell panel had dislodged and caught on the left rudder bar, inhibiting movement of the pedals. If the panel had been dislodged before the flight, it should have been observed both during a preflight inspection and during the flight. As the pilot did not report any resistance in the pedals before the landing, it is likely that the panel became dislodged as a result of the hard landing, which prevented the pilot from regaining directional control.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Loss of control
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have aborted landing due to wind gusts affecting control.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 3 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents3

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