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GAA16CA257

2016-05-19 · Vinton, Iowa, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport VTI

Current FAA registration · N85871

Make / Model
AERONCA 11AC
Year of manufacture
1946 · 70 years old at event
Engine
CONT MOTOR A&C65 SERIES (65 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19561114
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S ABC877

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll in gusty crosswind conditions, which resulted in a runway excursion and ground loop.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that during the landing roll the airplane rolled over an uneven crest on the runway and the airplane became airborne. The pilot further reported that he encountered a crosswind gust and the left wing rose and the airplane veered to the right. Subsequently, the airplane departed the runway and ground looped. The left wing rear spar was substantially damaged. An automated weather observing system at the airport, about the time of the accident, reported the wind at 120 degrees true, at 7 knots, gusting to 16 knots, for the landing on runway 16. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that during the landing roll the airplane rolled over an uneven crest on the runway and the airplane became airborne. The pilot further reported that he encountered a crosswind gust and the left wing rose and the airplane veered to the right. Subsequently, the airplane departed the runway and ground looped. The left wing rear spar was substantially damaged. An automated weather observing system at the airport, about the time of the accident, reported the wind at 120 degrees true, at 7 knots, gusting to 16 knots, for the landing on runway 16. The pilot did not report any 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.

  • 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
  • — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Crosswind-Ability to respond/compensate
  • — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Gusts-Ability to respond/compensate

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2016_GAA16CA257.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Search this event elsewhere

External sources are reported, not agency: signal that something happened, not fact about what happened.

Related research

Matched on aircraft type or causal vocabulary (runway excursion). All research papers