GAA16CA354
2016-06-30 · Saratoga, Wyoming, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed
Airport SAA
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during the landing roll resulting in substantial damage.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that he landed on an asphalt runway after completing an aerial application flight. He reported that during the landing roll, he ground looped the airplane to the right, the airplane exited the runway to the right, and the left wing struck the taxiway indicator sign. The left aileron sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or anomalies with any portion of the airplane that would have prevented normal flight operation. The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that he landed on an asphalt runway after completing an aerial application flight. He reported that during the landing roll, he ground looped the airplane to the right, the airplane exited the runway to the right, and the left wing struck the taxiway indicator sign. The left aileron sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or anomalies with any portion of the airplane that would have prevented normal flight 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-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Sign/marker-Contributed to outcome
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_2016_GAA16CA354.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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Related research
Matched on aircraft type. All research papers
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2003 · Journal article (JAAER) Assessing the Evolution of the Airborne Generation of Thermal Lift in Aerostats 1783 to 1883
Lift has been generated thermally in aerostats for 219 years making this the most enduring form of lift generation in lighter-than-air aviation.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2018 · Conference paper Assessing Small UAS Operator Flight Behavior and Potential Interference with Aviation Operations in Controlled Airspace
The rapid rise of small UAS (sUAS) operations in the National Airspace System is generating an increasing concern about possible interference with manned aircraft.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2017 · Conference paper Age Differences in Helicopter Accidents: A Preliminary Investigation
This study utilized the NTSB database from 2006 to 2016 to examine differences in severity of accidents by age for helicopter operations.