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ERA13CA233

2013-05-07 · Meriden, Connecticut, United States · Minor · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport MMK

Current FAA registration · N418CM

Make / Model
ZENITH ZENITH ZODIAC 601XL
Year of manufacture
2011 · 2 years old at event
Engine
JABIRU 3300 (120 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20111212
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A4F216

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's decision to land with a tailwind and his failure to maintain aircraft control during landing.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that he landed with a tailwind, and that the airplane touched down further down the runway than usual. When the pilot applied brakes to exit the runway onto the taxiway, the tires skidded and the airplane pivoted around to the left before coming to rest inverted. Postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to both left and right wings and the vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane. He further stated that he was fatigued, had “rushed” the landing approach, and had not taken time to properly evaluate the wind conditions prior to landing. The pilot reported that he landed with a tailwind and that the airplane touched down farther down the runway than usual. When the pilot applied brakes to exit the runway onto the taxiway, the tires skidded, and the airplane pivoted to the left before coming to rest inverted. Postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to the left and right wings and to the vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane. He further stated that he was fatigued, had “rushed” the landing approach, and had not taken time to properly evaluate the wind conditions prior to landing. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained - C
  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
  • C Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot - C
  • C Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Tailwind-Decision related to condition - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2013_ERA13CA233.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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