NTSB CAROL · Event
Event CEN21LA058
Registry · N77759
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
TEMCO GC-1B
Year of manufacture
1948 · 72 years old at event
Engine
CONT MOTOR C145 SERIES (145 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19550921
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S AA8631
Registrant of record
WALSH SAMUEL R
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during takeoff with a crosswind that resulted in a ground loop and impact with terrain.
Factual narrative
The private pilot reported that while taking off for a personal flight in a tailwheel airplane, the airplane encountered wind from the south during the takeoff roll and weathervaned. The airplane subsequently departed the left side of the runway and ground looped. During the ground loop, the right main landing gear collapsed, and the right wing struck the ground sustaining substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. At the time of the accident, the pilot was taking the airplane off on runway 23 with the wind from 130o at 8-10 knots. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12
NTSB Findings
Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).
- — Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot
- — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained
- — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Crosswind-Effect on operation
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_2020_CEN21LA058.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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