Thursday, April 11, 2019

Loss of Control on Ground: Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser, N92798, accident occurred April 10, 2019 at Sisters Eagle Air Airport (6K5), Deschutes County, Oregon

Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Portland, Oregon

Aviation Accident Factual Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf


Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board: https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms 
 
https://registry.faa.gov/N92798



Location: Sisters, OR
Accident Number: GAA19CA202
Date & Time: 04/10/2019, 1030 PDT
Registration: N92798
Aircraft:  Piper PA 12
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Loss of control on ground
Injuries: 1 Minor, 1 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Instructional 

The pilot in the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that during the approach, the wind velocity increased and became turbulent. He recalled that during the landing roll, "I immediately applied a slight amount of forward stick," but when the tailwheel contacted the surface, "the wind suddenly changed to a tailwind," and the airplane nosed over.

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the rudder, both wing lift struts, and the engine mounts.

The nearest METAR was located at an airport 1 mile away from the accident site, and reported that about the time of the accident, the wind was from 290° at 10 knots. The visibility was 10 statute miles, and the clouds were broken at 6,500ft MSL and deteriorating. The pilot landed the airplane on runway 20.

The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Pilot Information

Certificate: Flight Instructor; Commercial
Age: 73, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine Land; Single-engine Sea
Seat Occupied: Rear
Other Aircraft Rating(s): Balloon; Glider
Restraint Used:
Instrument Rating(s): Airplane
Second Pilot Present: Yes
Instructor Rating(s): Airplane Single-engine; Glider
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 2 With Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 10/06/2018
Occupational Pilot: Yes
Last Flight Review or Equivalent: 11/28/2018
Flight Time:  (Estimated) 8000 hours (Total, all aircraft), 100 hours (Total, this make and model)

Student Pilot Information

Certificate: Airline Transport; Commercial
Age: 88, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Multi-engine Land; Single-engine Land
Seat Occupied:Front
Other Aircraft Rating(s): Glider
Restraint Used:
Instrument Rating(s): Airplane
Second Pilot Present: Yes
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: None With Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 10/01/2003
Occupational Pilot: No
Last Flight Review or Equivalent: 04/17/2017
Flight Time:

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Piper
Registration: N92798
Model/Series: PA 12 No Series
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 1946
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Other
Serial Number: 12-244
Landing Gear Type: Tailwheel
Seats: 3
Date/Type of Last Inspection:  100 Hour
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 1771 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection:
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time:
Engine Manufacturer: Lycoming
ELT: C91  installed, activated, did not aid in locating accident
Engine Model/Series: O-320
Registered Owner: Tailwheel Productions Llc
Rated Power: 150 hp
Operator: Tailwheel Productions Llc
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KPDX, 107 ft msl
Distance from Accident Site: 1 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 0353 UTC
Direction from Accident Site: 311°
Lowest Cloud Condition:
Visibility: 10 Miles
Lowest Ceiling: Broken / 5500 ft agl
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: 10 knots /
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual:
Wind Direction: 290°
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual: 
Altimeter Setting: 30.42 inches Hg
Temperature/Dew Point: 10°C / 5°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Madras, OR (S33)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: Sisters, OR (65K)
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time: 1000 PDT
Type of Airspace: Class G

Airport Information

Airport: Sisters Eagle Air (6K5)
Runway Surface Type: Grass/turf
Airport Elevation: 3168 ft
Runway Surface Condition: Dry
Runway Used: 20
IFR Approach: None
Runway Length/Width: 3560 ft / 60 ft
VFR Approach/Landing: Full Stop; Traffic Pattern

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Minor, 1 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 Minor, 1 None
Latitude, Longitude: 45.588611, -122.596944 (est)



SISTERS, Oregon - Two men sustained minor injuries Wednesday morning when their 73-year-old single-engine plane flipped onto its roof while landing in winds gusting more than 40 mph at Sisters Eagle Airport, Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies said.

A Black Butte Police Department sergeant was driving by the Sisters Eagle Airport around 10:45 a.m. when he saw a plane flip over while trying to land and called for assistance, sheriff’s Sgt. Kevin Dizney said. 

Deputies arrived to find the red and white Piper PA-12 single-engine plane on its top, partly on the paved runway, Dizney said.

Dizney said the plane “had been attempting to land and due to the gusty winds we’re experiencing had some complications and flipped over onto its roof.”

Pilot Brian Lansburgh, 73, of Sisters, and his passenger, John Watson, 88, of Bend, were able to climb out of the overturned plane with minor, non-life-threatening injuries that didn’t require transport from the scene, the sergeant said.

Deputies determined Lansburgh was trying to land in gusty winds, using the dirt beside the runway to help in the landing, Dizney said.

“Wind appears to be the only factor causing this crash at this time,” Dizney said in a news release.

He later told NewsChannel 21 that both men are pilots and they had taken off earlier from the Sisters airport.

The National Weather Service observation site in Sisters was recording west-southwest winds of 30 mph, gusting to 41 mph around the time the plane landed.

Federal Aviation Administration records indicate the plane was built in 1946 and is owned by Tailwheel Productions LLC of Sisters.

The runway was closed for about 90 minutes during the crash investigation and for airport staff to take the plane to a storage location. The plane “sustained moderate damage but remained in one piece,” Dizney said in a news release.

Dizney said the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board were contacted by phone for assistance and will be completing their investigation in the coming days.

Lansburgh is a flight instructor who specializes in “tailwheel” instruction, the type of plane that has a “tailwheel” at the rear to support the tail of the plane.  He started the Tailwheeler’s Journal and was nominated for an Academy Award in 1976 for the short film “Dawn Flight,” according to the Tailwheeler’s Journal website.

Lansburgh previously was the manager and pilot of Sunriver Soaring and managed the Sunriver Airport for a time. Previously, he was a pilot for L3 Wescam, flying aerial photography planes across the U.S. and Canada, and also was a comedy stunt pilot for air shows.

Story and video ➤ https://www.ktvz.com




A single-engine airplane flipped over after having to land on a dirt strip parallel to the runway at Sisters Eagle Airport on Wednesday morning, according to the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office.

The pilot, identified as Brian Lansburgh, 73, of Sisters, was attempting to land at 10:43 a.m., but hit a cross wind and ended up landing off the runway, which caused the plane to flip on its top, said Sgt. William Bailey, sheriff’s spokesman. Also on board was passenger John Watson, 88, of Bend.

Lansburgh and Watson were able to get out of the plane on their own and suffered minor injuries.

The single-engine Piper PA12, which was built in 1946, is registered to Tailwheel Productions LLC in Sisters, according to a Federal Aviation Administration database.

Lansburgh is the founder of The Tailwheeler’s Journal and a flight instructor who produces flying videos, according to the company website. It states he was former manager of Sunriver Soaring and ran the Sunriver Airport for a while.

The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board have been notified and are investigating the crash.

Wind appears to be the only factor in the crash, according to sheriff’s Sgt. K. Dizney.

“Deputies determined the pilot, Brian Lansburgh, was attempting to land the plane in gusty winds using the adjacent dirt along the runway to assist him in making the landing,” Dizney said in a press release. “As the airplane touched down and began to slow, winds began to gust again and caused the plane to flip over onto its top.”

Also Wednesday, a flight from San Francisco arriving at Redmond Airport blew four tires on its main landing gear, said Zach Bass, airport manager. United Airlines Flight 5879, a CRJ-200 flown by SkyWest Airlines, blew the tires as it landed on Runway 29.

None of the 28 people on board was injured, the FAA said.

Original article can be found here ➤ https://www.bendbulletin.com

1 comment:

  1. Great job getting the plane on the ground in such treacherous conditions. Maybe we can see some video of even5 to learn from.

    ReplyDelete