Event GAA17CA013

Factual narrative

The pilot of a tailwheel equipped airplane reported that, while landing at a tower controlled airport, he performed a wheel landing and as the tail settled to the runway, in a "fraction of a second" the airplane was "sideways on the runway." He further reported that the airplane skidded off the runway to the right, the right main landing gear collapsed, and the right wing impacted the terrain. The right wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observing system at the accident airport, about two minutes before the accident, recorded the wind at 360 degrees true at 11 knots. In addition, a wind shift and frontal passage was recorded about 3 minutes before the accident. The pilot reported that he landed on runway 12 left. The pilot submitted an additional statement, which in part stated: "1) Tower assigned a runway with a known quartering tail wind, up to 18 knots. 2) As pilot in command, I did not process the wind call out prior to landing." According to the Federal Aviation Administration Chart Supplement, within the final approach path, a wind sock was located to the left of the runway. The flight was flown under day visual meteorological conditions, the airplane entered the pattern on a left downwind, and would have likely been visible to the pilot. However, the pilot reported that he did not observe the wind sock. According to an Air Traffic Control transcript of tower and ground communications, the accident occurred about 3 minutes and 8 seconds after the accident airplane's initial contact with the tower, when the accident airplane reported, 3 miles east inbound. The tower responded to the initial call with, wind 010 at 18, cleared to land 12 left. About 40 seconds later, a ground controller held a taxiing jet stating in part: "hold out right there, we're not sure what we're going to be doing with the airport right now, [wind] 360 at 16, that's a pretty strong tailwind for you guys." About 30 seconds later, tower directed the accident airplane to enter left downwind for 12 left and provided the landing clearance a second time for runway 12 left. About 20 seconds later, a second airplane reported inbound and 8 seconds later was directed by tower to enter left downwind for 12 left. The airplane subsequently repeated the instruction and the tower reported wind 360 at 15. About 25 seconds later, the second airplane requested to land runway 30 right instead of runway 12 left. The tower subsequently directed this second airplane to enter a left downwind for runway 30 left, while the accident airplane continued and landed on runway 12 left. According to 14 CFR Part 91.3 titled, "Responsibility and authority of the pilot in command," sub bullet (a) states, "The pilot in command of an aircraft is directly responsible for, and is the final authority as to, the operation of that aircraft." The pilot of a tailwheel equipped airplane reported that, while landing at a tower controlled airport, he performed a wheel landing and as the tail settled to the runway, in a "fraction of a second" the airplane was "sideways on the runway." He further reported that the airplane skidded off the runway to the right, the right main landing gear collapsed, and the right wing impacted the terrain. The right wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observing system at the accident airport, about two minutes before the accident, recorded the wind at 360 degrees true at 11 knots. In addition, a wind shift and frontal passage was recorded about 3 minutes before the accident. The pilot reported that he landed on runway 12 left. The pilot submitted an additional statement, which in part stated: "1) Tower assigned a runway with a known quartering tail wind, up to 18 knots. 2) As pilot in command, I did not process the wind call out prior to landing." According to the Federal Aviation Administration Chart Supplement, within the final approach path, a wind sock was located to the left of the runway. The flight was flown under day visual meteorological conditions, the airplane entered the pattern on a left downwind, and would have likely been visible to the pilot. However, the pilot reported that he did not observe the wind sock. According to an Air Traffic Control transcript of tower and ground communications, the accident occurred about 3 minutes and 8 seconds after the accident airplane's initial contact with the tower, when the accident airplane reported, 3 miles east inbound. The tower responded to the initial call with, wind 010 at 18, cleared to land 12 left. About 40 seconds later, a ground controller held a taxiing jet stating in part: "hold out right there, we're not sure what we're going to be doing with the airport right now, [wind] 360 at 16, that's a pretty strong tailwind for you guys." About 30 seconds later, tower directed the accident airplane to enter left downwind for 12 left and provided the landing clearance a second time for runway 12 left. About 20 seconds later, a second airplane reported inbound and 8 seconds later was directed by tower to enter left downwind for 12 left. The airplane subsequently repeated the instruction and the tower reported wind 360 at 15. About 25 seconds later, the second airplane requested to land runway 30 right instead of runway 12 left. The tower subsequently directed this second airplane to enter a left downwind for runway 30 left, while the accident airplane continued and landed on runway 12 left. According to 14 CFR Part 91.3 titled, "Responsibility and authority of the pilot in command," sub bullet (a) states, "The pilot in command of an aircraft is directly responsible for, and is the final authority as to, the operation of that aircraft." 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-Directional control-Not attained/maintained - C
• — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Tailwind-Decision related to condition
• — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Variable wind-Effect on operation
• — Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Expectation/assumption-Pilot
• — Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-ATC personnel