What happened
On 29 April 2011, a Piper PA 16 Clipper, registration EI-EMT, was involved in a ground accident at Letterkenny Airfield, Co. Donegal. Following a routine local flight, the pilot landed the tail-wheeled aircraft on Runway 25. After the landing roll, the pilot attempted to turn the aircraft to backtrack along Runway 07 toward the airfield hangars.
During this maneuver, a sudden gust of wind caught the aircraft. The force of the wind lifted the tail, causing the aircraft to nose into the ground and subsequently flip onto its back. Although the aircraft suffered substantial damage to its wings, propeller, tail, and wing struts, there were no injuries to the pilot or the passenger.
The investigation
The investigation examined the meteorological conditions and the technical state of the aircraft. At the time of the accident, surface winds were reported between 250 and 270 degrees at 18 to 22 knots, with the potential for even stronger, blustery gusts due to local topography.
Technical inspections revealed that the aircraft was well-maintained and held a valid flight permit at the time of the occurrence. The investigation focused on the aerodynamic challenges of maneuvering a tail-wheeled aircraft during transitions between different wind angles, specifically the vulnerability of the aircraft when moving from a quartering headwind to a quartering tailwind.