Watertown Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Watertown, Wisconsin 53094
Friday, August 5, 2005 17:00 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The tailwheel airplane veered off the runway during landing roll and impacted a muddy ditch. The pilot reported that after touchdown the airplane veered to the left and he used right rudder input in an attempt to realign with the runway centerline. The pilot stated that "next we were heading extreme right, I had a feeling the tailwheel was off the ground." The flight instructor stated that she was "talking [the pilot] through the landing, and also helping out with [control] stick movement." The flight instructor reported that after touchdown, as she began to bring the control stick aft the pilot pushed the control stick forward which elevated the tailwheel off the runway. The flight instructor stated that the pilot also "pushed right rudder" which turned the airplane "sideways." The flight instructor reported that she "immediately brought the [control] stick back and tried to correct the rudder." The flight instructor stated that the tailwheel came back down to the runway, but she was unable to "correct the rudder" because of "resistance." The flight instructor reported that she felt the pilot had "frozen on the controls." The flight instructor stated that the only thing she could do was "slam on the brakes" in an attempt to stop the airplane before it entered a ditch alongside the runway. The flight instructor reported that the "mud was so deep that the brakes were not effective and [airplane] kept sliding" into the ditch where it nosed over. The pilot had no experience in the accident airplane make/model prior to the accident flight. The flight instructor had approximately 20 hours in conventional (tailwheel) airplanes, of which 16.6 hours were in the accident airplane make/model.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The flightcrew's failure to maintain directional control during landing rollout.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 8/5/2005
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 1700
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City Watertown
Event State WISCONSIN
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 53094
Event Date Year 2005
Event Date Month 8
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 431011N
Event Location Longitude 0884324W
Event Location Airport Watertown Municipal Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID RYV
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation 833
Weather Briefing Completeness --
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1715 Central Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) --
Weather Observation Facility ID RYV
Elevation of weather observation facility 833
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation CDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height --
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height --
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) --
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 26
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 13
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 250
Variable Wind Indicator Wind direction could be determined
Wind Speed (knots) 3
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30.21
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation --
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries --
On Ground, Minor Injuries --
On Ground, Serious Injuries --
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 2
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 18576
NTSB Notification Source FAA
NTSB Notification Date Aug 5 2005 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time --
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information DMS
Date of most recent change to record Oct 27 2005 6:51AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\JOHB
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office Federal Aviation Administration - Milwaukee FSDO

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N515KG
NTSB Number CHI05CA219
Missing Aircraft Indicator --
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? No
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name American Champion (ACAC)
Aircraft Model 7GCBC
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number 1249-98
Certified Max Gross Weight 1650
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class --
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 2
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Unknown
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed --
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name George M Batsche
Aircraft Owner Street Address N8766 Branch Road
Aircraft Owner City Ixonia
Aircraft Owner State WI
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 53036
Operator is an individual? No
Operator Name Wisconsin Aviation
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address --
Operator City Watertown
Operator State WI
Operator Country USA
Operator Zip code 53094
Operator Code --
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? --
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation --
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Instructional
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code RYV
Departure City Watertown
Departure State WI
Departure Country USA
Departure Time 1630
Departure Time Zone CDT
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code RYV
Destination City Watertown
Destination State WI
Destination Country USA
Specific Phase of Flight Landing - roll
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Sep 8 2005 4:42PM
User who most recently changed record DINC
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 23
Runway Length 4430
Runway Width 75
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --