Aeronca 65-TAC N36687

Summary

On 13 October 2006 at about 03:00 local time, a Aeronca 65-TAC registered N36687, operated by Donald Felps, was involved in an accident near Fredricksburg, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

13 October 2006 at 03:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Fredricksburg, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Gillespie County (T82)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Aeronca 65-TAC

Registration

N36687

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Donald Felps

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Sonora → Fredricksburg

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DFW07CA013

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to compensate for the existing wind conditions. A contributing factor was the prevailing crosswind.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The 1,019-hour private pilot lost control of the tailwheel-equipped airplane after encountering a wind shift while landing on runway 14. The pilot reported that after checking the automated weather service station and windsock at the arrival airport, he attempted to land the single-engine airplane with a prevailing right crosswind on the dry 5,002-foot long asphalt runway. The pilot reported holding the control inputs to correct for the crosswind and suddenly encountering a wind shift from the left. The pilot indicated in the accident report (NTSB Form 6120.1), that after the main wheels touched down, the left wing lifted and the nose of the airplane turned left into the wind. The airplane then exited the left side of the 75-foot wide runway and initiated a ground loop on the wet grass adjacent to the runway. The fuselage of the airplane sustained structural damage and the pilot and passenger were not injured. The automated weather observation station on the field reported scattered skies with 10 miles visibility, with winds from 270 degrees at 6 knots.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.