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GAA19CA596

2019-09-11 · Reno, Nevada, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport RTS

Current FAA registration · N515JD

Make / Model
JOHN A DALESSANDRIS PITTS S1S
Year of manufacture
2016 · 3 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING HIO-360 SER (205 hp)
Seats / Engines
1 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20160830
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A674CE

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing, which resulted in a runway excursion and a ground loop.

Factual narrative

The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped biplane reported that, during landing, the airplane encountered a right crosswind, veered to the right off the runway, and ground looped to the right. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower left wing and rudder. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The airport's automated weather observation station reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 150° at 4 knots. The pilot added that he believed he encountered a dust devil. The pilot was landing the airplane on runway 08. The pilot reported that, during landing, the biplane encountered a right crosswind, veered right off the runway, and ground looped. The biplane sustained substantial damage to the lower left wing and rudder. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the biplane 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
  • — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Tailwind-Effect on operation

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2019_GAA19CA596.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Search this event elsewhere

External sources are reported, not agency: signal that something happened, not fact about what happened.

Related research

Matched on aircraft type or causal vocabulary (runway excursion). All research papers