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LAX99LA196

1999-05-21 · SANTA ANA, California, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport SNA

N51641 has since been reassigned. It is now registered to a different aircraft (FLIGHTSTAR IISC), which was not involved in this event.

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control and his excessive use of the rudder to regain runway alignment.

Factual narrative

On May 21, 1999, at 2008 hours Pacific daylight time, a Maule M-5-210C, N51641, ground looped after landing on runway 19L at the John Wayne airport, Santa Ana, California. The airplane, operated by the pilot under 14 CFR Part 91, sustained substantial damage. The airline transport pilot/owner, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions existed for the local personal flight and no flight plan was filed. The flight had originated at the John Wayne airport the day of the accident about 1950. The pilot stated that he was practicing touch-and-go landings. He reported that the airplane landed right of centerline and he attempted to correct back to the center of the runway before initiating the takeoff. He said that he over corrected and ground looped the airplane. The pilot reported that the winds were from 180 degrees at 8 knots. He further reported that there were no mechanical anomalies noted with the airplane or engine, and that weather was not a factor. The pilot stated that he was practicing touch-and-go landings. He reported that the airplane landed right of centerline and he attempted to correct back to the center of the runway before initiating the takeoff. He said that he over corrected and ground looped the airplane. The pilot reported that the winds were from 180 degrees at 8 knots. He further reported that there were no mechanical anomalies noted with the airplane or engine, and that weather was not a factor. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1999_LAX99LA196.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Related research

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