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ERA24LA052

2023-11-30 · Martinsville, Virginia, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport MTV

Current FAA registration · N9564K

Make / Model
STINSON 108-2
Year of manufacture
1947 · 76 years old at event
Engine
FRANKLIN 6A4165 SERIES (165 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19570322
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S AD4DDF

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during a wheel landing in crosswind conditions and the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action, which resulted in a ground loop on the runway.

Factual narrative

The private pilot was flying with a flight instructor and was working towards his tailwheel endorsement. During a wheel landing attempt with a direct crosswind from the left, the airplane swerved, and the pilot attempted to make a correction by applying right rudder. Subsequently, the airplane ground looped before the flight instructor could take control of the airplane, and the left wing and left elevator struck the runway surface. Following the ground loop, the pilot continued the taxi to the ramp without further incident. The fuselage, left wing, and left elevator sustained substantial damage. The pilot and flight instructor reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained
  • — Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Student/instructed pilot
  • — Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Delayed action-Instructor/check pilot
  • — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Crosswind-Response/compensation

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2023_ERA24LA052.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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