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GAA16CA344

2016-06-25 · Fitchburg, Massachusetts, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport FIT

Current FAA registration · N3446

Make / Model
VAN'S AIRCRAFT RV-4
Year of manufacture
2012 · 4 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING O-320-D2A (160 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20120927
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A3CF54

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control upon landing, which resulted in a runway excursion followed by impact with terrain.

Factual narrative

The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that he made a normal three-point landing, shortly after touchdown the airplane veered to the left, then veered to the right. The pilot further reported that he applied power in an attempt to regain control, however the airplane veered back to the left and he reduced power as the airplane departed the runway. The airplane ground looped and the right wing impacted terrain causing substantial damage to the right aileron. The pilot reported there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that he made a normal three-point landing, shortly after touchdown the airplane veered to the left, then veered to the right. The pilot further reported that he applied power in an attempt to regain control, however the airplane veered back to the left and he reduced power as the airplane departed the runway. The airplane ground looped and the right wing impacted terrain causing substantial damage to the right aileron. The pilot reported there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine 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

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2016_GAA16CA344.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