Yakovlev YAK 52 N81FS

Summary

On 5 May 2018 at about 22:00 local time, a Yakovlev YAK 52 registered N81FS, operated by Red Star Aero Services LLC., was involved in an accident near Bayou La Batre, Alabama, 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

5 May 2018 at 22:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Bayou La Batre, Alabama, United States

Nearest airport

Roy E Ray (5R7)

Coordinates

30.4553, -88.2111

Aircraft

Yakovlev YAK 52

Registration

N81FS

Category

Airplane

Year built

1993

Engines

1

Operator

Red Star Aero Services LLC.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bayou La Batre → Bayou La Batre

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA18CA284

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s improper planning for landing on a wet grass airstrip, which resulted in a runway overrun.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the pilot in the experimental, exhibition airplane, he departed from a grass airstrip about 1 hour after a rain shower. After a 15-minute pleasure flight, he landed on the same wet grass airstrip. He reported that the airplane touched down about 700 ft past the 2,000-ft-long runway's threshold at 75 knots with full flaps and the trim set nose up. He applied the brakes multiple times, but the airplane overran the departure end of the runway. The airplane's groundspeed was about 13 knots when the right wing struck a fence. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right-wing aileron. In the recommendation section of the National Transportation Safety Board Pilot Aircraft Accident Report, the pilot asserted that the accident could have been prevented if he had taken into consideration "the reduced traction offered by the wet grass." The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.