On 2 Mar 2011, an INIZIATIVE INDUSTRIALI ITALIAN SKY ARROW 600 SPORT operated by Lewis F. Gayner was involved in an aviation accident near Ridgely, MD. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to compensate for crosswind conditions and loss of directional control during landing, resulting in a runway excursion and nose over. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 2 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A pilot lost directional control during a crosswind landing, veering off the runway and nosing over in a ditch. Both wings and tail sustained structural damage. No mechanical issues were reported.
Accident Overview
During a landing with a left crosswind, the airplane began to veer to the right. The pilot responded by removing the crosswind correction input while applying the brakes. The brake handle was located on the control stick. The airplane continued off the right side of the runway.
Events
After departing the runway surface, the nose landing gear dug into the grass. The airplane subsequently nosed over inverted into a ditch. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident.
Aftermath
Both wings and the tail section of the airplane sustained structural damage as a result of the accident sequence. The investigation did not identify any pre-existing mechanical issues that could have contributed to the loss of control.
Contributing factors
Causes
Directional control — Not attained/maintainedPilot