Event IAD99LA055

Factual narrative

On July 17, 1999, at 1030 eastern daylight time, an Aeronca 11BC, N3756E, was substantially damaged during the landing roll at the Sky Acres Airport (44N), Millbrook, New York. The certificated private pilot and passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight that originated at Oxford, Connecticut (OXC), at 1000. No flight plan was filed for the flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. In a telephone interview, the pilot stated the purpose of the flight was to fly to Sky Acres with his grandson. He said they departed Oxford on runway 36, and was surprised to learn that traffic was landing on runway 17, at 44N. The pilot said he called for a traffic advisory to confirm the runway in use before entering the traffic pattern for runway 17. The pilot said: "I landed about the numbers and I was rolling out. I slowed to about 30 miles per hour and was about to add power to taxi when I got the push. It was a right quartering tailwind. I was way, way, down the runway before I got the push. I got pushed off the right side of the runway and down into a 25-foot gully. There was about 15 feet of grass before reaching the gully. I hit the brakes hard, but I lost braking action on the grass. I rolled down into the gully and struck the rock nobody wants to find." The pilot said he had 488 hours of flight experience, of which 99 hours were in make and model. He said he had recently restored the airplane and that it had no mechanical deficiencies. Winds reported at Poughkeepsie, New York, 8 miles southwest of Sky Acres were from 200 degrees at 8 knots. The pilot reported the airplane encountered a 'right quartering tailwind' during rollout after landing. He said that braking action was lost in the grass after the airplane departed the right side of the runway. The airplane continued into a gully and struck a rock. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12