This June 2009 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
Aircraft: Aviat Aircraft Husky. Injuries: None. Location: Marfa, Texas. Aircraft damage: Substantial.
What reportedly happened: The private pilot was flying an aerial survey of his ranch. He saw an overflowing water trough and decided to land on a nearby 1,100-foot-long dirt airstrip so that he could fix the water problem. During landing, the pilot encountered a gust of wind and the airplane bounced. He determined that he couldn’t safely abort the landing because there was a row of power lines at the end of the runway, so he applied the brakes, which caused the tail to rise, but it was not enough to bring the plane to a full stop. When he applied the brakes harder, the plane flipped onto its back.
Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain control while landing in gusty winds.
For more information: NTSB.gov. NTSB identification: CEN09CA352.
