The pilot of the tundra-tire- and tailwheel-equipped CubCrafters CC11-160 was making a night landing at the airport in Mammoth Lakes, California, a high-altitude airport.
He reported that, to mitigate the crosswind component, he decided to land from right to left on the 100-foot-wide runway.
He added that the wheel landing was normal, but the airplane would not return to centerline from the left side of the runway.
He added power to go around, but the left main wheel sheared off, and the airplane ground looped to the right.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and empennage.
The automated weather observation station on the airport reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 220° at 19 knots, gusting 31 knots. The airplane landed on Runway 27.
The airplane’s operating handbook stated that the maximum demonstrated crosswind component was 13 mph/11 knots. The calculated crosswind component using steady winds was 15 knots, using gusting winds, it was 24 knots.
Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll in a gusting crosswind condition, which exceeded the airplane’s maximum demonstrated crosswind and resulted in the collapse of the left main landing gear.
NTSB Identification: GAA18CA169
This March 2018 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.
Those high mountain runways are difficult because of the gusts. There are no nearby runways in that area and the airplane has a short fuel range.
I’m sorry he broke his toy but glad to see he was out aviating and not sitting in his living room.
The pilot at least had enough forethought to land from right to left on the runway trying to minimize the effects of the crosswinds. It’s easy to second guess any pilot’s actions and I’m sure he has gone over and over what he should have or could have done differently. In my many, did I say, “many” years of flying and the majority of them teaching, perhaps the decision to come up with an alternate airport or plan before the wheels had touched down? Of course, it’s easy for me while I sit in my living room chair to critique. Hopefully, the lessons he learned from this unfortunate accident can be used as a tool to pass down to other pilots growing their own “wings.”
Actually, the axle broke off the gear leg, due to the high side loads from the 31 inch tires and a high crosswind.
Also, landing with full flaps with such a high wind/ cross-wind is not a good idea. Better to use 10 deg., or no flaps to maintain rudder authority.
So, attempting a landing under these conditions essentially destroyed a $200k aircraft.
Yet another stupid pilot trick.!
I agree that little if any flaps would help this landing better to fly it down at speed and land across the runway. The oversize tires don’t help at all.
Disagree. Landing with partial flaps usually leads to more trouble than it avoids.
Using full flaps doesn’t put more stress on the airframe, it puts less stress on due to the lower speed available. What leads to trouble is, under certain “conditions”, some pilots cut back on the flaps and add some speed thinking this will help, which it does not. In fact, it has exactly the opposite effect.
It’s very simple – always use full flaps, don’t try and get creative on the spur of the moment, and learn to come in at a slower airspeed. All will be well..
Disagree with Bach. A reasonably higher touchdown speed (half the gust factor, remember?) and no or very little flaps gives much better controllability in a stiff crosswind. Any time a pilot claims that there is only one way to do things (“always use full flaps”), I’m suspicious that the pilot has less experience than he/she claims.
I’m disappointed that the NTSB hung part of their decision on exceeding the maximum demonstrated crosswind capability of the airplane. With proper training and practice, exceeding the DCC of most airplanes by a substantial amount isn’t difficult. I have no idea how much it could be exceeded with this particular airplane, which admittedly has a very low DCC, but I’m willing to bet that a competent pilot could handle the steady crosswind of 15 knots. The 24 knot crosswind gusts would be a handful, however.