GAA20CA056
2019-11-03 · Monument Valley, Utah, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed
Airport UT25
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing after a wing struck vegetation, which resulted in a runway excursion and subsequent ground-loop.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped biplane reported that, while conducting a 3-point landing, the lower right wing struck vegetation along the edge of the runway. The biplane veered to the right off the runway. She decided to abort the landing and added power to go around, but the biplane ground looped to the left and both lower wings struck the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to fuselage and both lower wings. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that, while conducting a three-point landing, the biplane's lower right wing struck vegetation along the edge of the runway. The biplane then veered right off the runway. She decided to abort the landing and added power to go around, but the biplane ground looped to the left, and both lower wings struck the ground. The biplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both lower wings. 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 Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
- C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Lateral/bank control-Not attained/maintained - C
- C Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Tree(s)-Effect on operation - C
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_2019_GAA20CA056.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.
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