NTSB CAROL · Event
Event ERA14CA039
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing resulting in collision with equipment off the side of the runway. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's intentional landing on a closed runway with a tailwind.
Factual narrative
The pilot instructed the runway repair technicians to move their equipment so that he could depart from the closed runway that was NOTAM'd as such by the airport operator. The pilot/owner then took off downwind. Later, the pilot returned in the accident airplane and the technicians were surprised when the airplane "committed" to landing downwind on the closed runway. The technicians quickly moved their equipment from the runway surface but the pilot was unable to stop the airplane before striking the left wing against a construction vehicle off the left side of the runway, which resulted in substantial damage. In interviews with Federal Aviation Administration inspectors, the pilot did not report any mechanical deficiencies with his airplane that would preclude normal operation. According to NTSB records, this was the pilot's fourth accident in the previous 3 years. The pilot instructed the runway repair technicians to move their equipment so that he could depart from the closed runway that was NOTAM'd as such by the airport operator. The pilot/owner then took off downwind. Later, the pilot returned in the accident airplane and the technicians were surprised when the airplane "committed" to landing downwind on the closed runway. The technicians quickly moved their equipment from the runway surface but the pilot was unable to stop the airplane before striking the left wing against a construction vehicle off the left side of the runway, which resulted in substantial damage. In interviews with Federal Aviation Administration inspectors, the pilot did not report any mechanical deficiencies with his airplane that would preclude normal operation. According to NTSB records, this was the pilot's fourth accident in the previous 3 years. 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).
- 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
- F Environmental issues-Operating environment-Airport facilities/design-Runway/landing area condition-Decision related to condition - F
- F Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Tailwind-Decision related to condition - F
- — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Ground equipment-Contributed to outcome
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_2013_ERA14CA039.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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