GAA17CA413
2017-06-15 · Van Nuys, California, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed
Airport VNY
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during the landing roll, the airplane drifted to the right and he corrected with rudder, but then the airplane "started to pull" to the left. He added that his "rudder input failed to stop the plane from continuing to the left", the airplane ground looped to the left, and the right wing tip hit the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during the landing roll, the airplane drifted to the right and he corrected with rudder but then the airplane "started to pull" to the left. He added that his "rudder input failed to stop the plane from continuing to the left," the airplane ground looped to the left, and the right wingtip hit the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions 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
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_2017_GAA17CA413.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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