No fatalities

7 Aug 2008: Cosmos Phase II — Dave Kempler — Carson City, NV

Carson City, NV, United States

On 7 Aug 2008, a Cosmos Phase II operated by Dave Kempler was involved in an aviation accident near Carson City, NV. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's inadequate compensation for the crosswind conditions. Contributing to the accident was the crosswind. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 7 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

During a supervised solo flight, a student pilot completed three touch-and-go landings but encountered a crosswind on the fourth. Drifting off the runway, he landed on a dirt area and impacted a dirt pile, causing the airplane to nose over and sustain structural damage.

Incident Overview

A student pilot, conducting his first supervised solo flight, experienced an incident during his fourth landing. He had successfully completed three touch-and-go landings without any issues earlier in the flight.

The Landing Sequence

On the fourth approach, the student pilot encountered a slight crosswind from the left. This crosswind pushed the airplane approximately 30 feet to the right of the 75-foot-wide asphalt runway. The student pilot attempted to realign the airplane over the runway but was unable to do so.

He then managed to align the airplane with a dirt area located to the right of the runway, just beyond his intended landing zone. Deciding to proceed, he continued the landing on the dirt area.

The Accident

At an altitude of about 10 feet above ground level, the student pilot noticed a pile of dirt directly in the airplane's flight path. He attempted a go-around by applying full power. However, the airplane touched down, impacted the dirt pile, and subsequently nosed over.

Damage Assessment

After the accident, the student pilot examined the airplane and found that both wings and the airframe had sustained structural damage. He noted that there were no anomalies with the engine or airframe that would have precluded normal operation.

Contributing factors

Causes

Crosswind correction — Not attained/maintained

Other contributing factors

Contributed to outcomeAirport facilities/design