What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 2021-11-19 involved a PIPER PA-18, at AERÓDROMO “RODELILLO”, CL.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

The primary cause was a sudden increase in crosswind intensity during a touch-and-go maneuver, compounded by the student pilot's lack of familiarity with the aircraft's handling characteristics and the instructor's failure to timely intervene.

Piper PA-18 Excursion During Touch-and-Go Training

A flight training maneuver at Rodelillo Aerodrome resulted in a wing strike and runway excursion due to a sudden crosswind gust.

What happened

On November 19, 2021, at approximately 17:40 local time, a Piper PA-18 was conducting a flight training session at Rodelillo Aerodrome (SCRD) in the Valparaíso Region. The flight, involving an instructor and a student pilot, was performing a series of touch-and-go maneuvers for type rating purposes.

During the second touch-and-go maneuver, while the aircraft was in a three-point landing configuration on runway 01, a sudden increase in wind intensity from the left occurred. This gust caused the aircraft to tilt abruptly to the right, resulting in the right wingtip making contact with the runway surface. Following the wing strike, the crew attempted to correct the aircraft's position, but an overcorrection led to a leftward deviation. The aircraft subsequently exited the runway and came to a stop on the left side of the pavement.

There were no injuries to the crew, and the aircraft sustained minor damage to the wooden structure and fabric of the right wingtip.

The investigation

DGAC Chile examined the flight history, maintenance records, and meteorological conditions at the time of the event. The investigation confirmed that both the instructor and student pilot held valid licenses and medical certificates. The aircraft's maintenance logs showed that the plane had undergone its annual inspection recently and was in airworthy condition, with no outstanding discrepancies reported.

The investigation also analyzed the aircraft's design characteristics, specifically its tailwheel configuration. Investigators reviewed the meteorological report, which indicated a northwest wind with an average intensity of 7 knots, confirming the presence of a crosswind component from the left side of the aircraft's path.

Findings

A sudden increase in crosswind intensity from the left occurred during the landing roll.
The student pilot lacked sufficient experience in the Piper PA-18 to effectively manage the crosswind effect, having accumulated only 1.5 hours of flight time in this specific model.
The aircraft's tailwheel design inherently creates a "weathervane effect," making it prone to pivoting into the wind during crosswind conditions.
The instructor failed to provide timely or efficient corrections to manage the student's loss of control and the subsequent leftward deviation that led to the runway excursion.