Event GAA17CA001

Factual narrative

According to the pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane, during the approach he applied carburetor heat, set airspeed to 70 kts. and set the flaps to 1 notch less than full. He reported that the flare and touch down on the gravel runway was "very smooth". However, he recalled that when the tailwheel contacted the ground, the right wing ascended and the left wing was dragged across the ground. The pilot reported that the left wing strut failed, the airplane nosed over and came to rest on the gravel runway. Additionally, the pilot noted that after the accident, the wind sock indicated a direct crosswind from the right and varied between ¾ to completely full. However, post-accident photographs of the airplane reveal that the left wing of the airplane sustained damage to the top side of the wing. The bottom side of the left wing, the wing tip and the wing strut revealed no indication of runway contact. Photographs reveal substantial damage to the horizontal stabilizer and the rudder. The pilot reported that there were no pre-accident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. According to the pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane, during the approach, he applied carburetor heat, set airspeed to 70 knots, and set the flaps to 1 notch less than full. He reported that the flare and touchdown on the gravel runway was "very smooth." However, he recalled that, when the tailwheel contacted the ground, the right wing ascended, and the left wing dragged across the ground. The pilot reported that the left wing strut failed and that the airplane nosed over and came to rest on the gravel runway. Additionally, the pilot noted that, after the accident, the wind sock indicated a direct crosswind from the right and varied between three-quarters to completely full. However, postaccident photographs of the airplane revealed that the airplane's left wing sustained damage to its top side. The bottom side of the left wing, the wing tip, and the wing strut revealed no indication of runway contact. The photographs revealed substantial damage to the horizontal stabilizer and the rudder. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. 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 Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
• C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Pitch control-Not attained/maintained - C
• C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Crosswind correction-Not attained/maintained - C
• C Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Crosswind-Effect on equipment - C