No fatalities

19 Sep 2009: Aviat Aircraft Inc A-1C-180 — Pilot — Princeton, MN

Princeton, MN, United States

On 19 Sep 2009, an Aviat Aircraft Inc A-1C-180 operated by Pilot was involved in an aviation accident near Princeton, MN. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 17 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

During landing on a 3,900-foot asphalt runway, the airplane's tail oscillated upon contact, causing it to drift off the right side. The right main gear encountered terrain, resulting in a nose-over and substantial damage. Occupants uninjured.

Accident Details

During the landing roll on runway 15, which measures 3,900 feet in length and 75 feet in width and is asphalt-surfaced, the pilot reported that the airplane's tail began to "oscillate" immediately after contacting the runway surface. This oscillation was followed by the airplane drifting off the right side of the runway. Once off the runway, the right main landing gear wheel encountered the adjacent terrain, leading to a nose-over event.

Damage

The accident resulted in substantial damage to the airplane. Specific damage items included wrinkling of the left wing skin, damage to the vertical stabilizer, and damage to the left side of the fuselage near the windshield. No further details on the extent of structural damage were provided.

Occupant Status

The airplane was occupied by a pilot and a pilot-rated passenger. Both individuals were uninjured in the accident.

Pilot Statement

The pilot stated that the tail oscillation occurred upon runway contact and preceded the drift off the runway. No mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation were noted during the event. The source did not provide additional information regarding the pilot's actions or environmental conditions.

Contributing factors

Directional control — Not attained/maintainedPilot