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GAA18CA344

2018-06-11 · Arcadia, Florida, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport X06

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s loss of directional control during landing due to a flat tire.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that, during the landing roll, the airplane was veering to the left. He attempted to correct for the veer with right rudder and brake to no avail. Subsequently, the airplane exited the left side of the runway, encountered a ditch, and the airplane came to rest. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that the left main tire failed on landing. The Federal Aviation Administration aviation safety inspector reported that, there were marks on the runway from the failed tire, but he was unable to tell if the tire had failed prior to or upon landing. The inspector also assessed the brakes and did not notice anything abnormal. The pilot reported that, during the landing roll, the airplane veered left. He attempted to correct for the veer with right rudder and brake to no avail. Subsequently, the airplane exited the left side of the runway, encountered a ditch, and the airplane came to rest. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that the left main tire failed on landing. The Federal Aviation Administration aviation safety inspector reported that there were marks on the runway from the failed tire, but he was unable to tell if the tire had failed before or upon landing. The inspector also assessed the brakes and did not notice anything abnormal. 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-Attain/maintain not possible - C
  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
  • C Aircraft-Aircraft systems-Landing gear system-Wheel/ski/float-Failure - C
  • — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Terrain-Sloped/uneven terrain-Effect on equipment

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2018_GAA18CA344.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.