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| Date: | Saturday 15 October 1994 |
| Time: | 12:55 LT |
| Type: |  Boeing-Stearman PT-17 |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N4923N |
| MSN: | 75-8216 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1940 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 5144 hours |
| Engine model: | Continental W670-6A |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Fitchburg, MA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | Sterling, MA (3B3) |
| (KFIT) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
A CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI), AND THE 26 HOUR STUDENT PILOT/OWNER OF THE AIRPLANE, DEPARTED IN THE AIRPLANE FOR A LOCAL TRAINING FLIGHT. ACCORDING TO THE CFI, 'DURING THE LANDING, TOUCH DOWN WAS APPROXIMATELY ONE THOUSAND FEET FROM THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 32. A SUDDEN GUST OF WIND CAME FROM THE RIGHT; I APPLIED HARD LEFT RUDDER AND BRAKE WITH NO EFFECT, DURING THIS TIME THE LEFT WING TIP STRUCK THE PAVEMENT. THE PLANE LEFT THE RUNWAY ONTO THE TURF; THERE, WITH THE LEFT BRAKE LOCKED, THE LOOP HALTED, BUT THE NOSE SLOWLY TIPPED DOWN.' THE CFI REPORTED 'THE ENTIRE INCIDENT TOOK PLACE AT SLOW SPEED, APPARENTLY TOO SLOW FOR THE FLIGHT CONTROL TO HAVE ANY COUNTERING EFFECT.'
Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to adequately compensate for the crosswind condition during landing, which resulted in a ground loop and the subsequent wing tip collision with the runway.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB NYC95LA010
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 8 August 2008 | N4923N | Private | 0 | Sterling, Massachusetts | |
sub |
| Heavy landing | ||||||
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 15-Mar-2024 13:24 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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