Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Cottonwood Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Cottonwood, Arizona 86326
Tuesady, January 16, 2007 16:20 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The certificated flight instructor, with a pilot-rated passenger in the left seat, was landing a tailwheel-converted airplane in gusty, right crosswind conditions. During the landing roll, the instructor lost directional control, and the airplane departed the runway to the right, and went into a ditch. In a written statement to the NTSB, the instructor indicated that there was a structural failure of the tailwheel-mounting bracket that precipitated the loss of control. Three pilot-rated witnesses responded to the accident site immediately after the accident, and none of them reported seeing any significant damage to the tailwheel assembly. A certificated aviation mechanic, and an FAA airworthiness inspector examined the airplane, and stated that the damage to the tailwheel was done during the recovery process, not during the accident. The owner of the airplane related to the NTSB investigator-in-charge that the instructor stated to him that he just lost directional control during the crosswind landing.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to compensate for a gusty crosswind during the landing roll, which resulted in a loss of control and an on-ground encounter with a ditch. Factors associated with the accident are a crosswind and wind gusts.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/16/2007 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1620 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | Cottonwood |
| Event State | ARIZONA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 86326 |
| Event Date Year | 2007 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 344348N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1120207W |
| Event Location Airport | Cottonwood Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | P52 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 3550 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | -- |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | -- |
| 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) | 50 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 5 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 12 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.12 |
| 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) | 21270 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Regional Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jan 16 2007 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 25 2007 2:54PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\lema |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Scottsdale, Arizona |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N7218X |
| NTSB Number | SEA07LA049 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 150A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 15059318 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1500 |
| 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 | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 1 2006 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 12896 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Jess Mulcaire |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Camp Verde |
| Aircraft Owner State | AZ |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 86322 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Daniel R. Detherage |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Camp Verde |
| Operator State | AZ |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 86322 |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | PRC |
| Departure City | Prescott |
| Departure State | AZ |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1440 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | P52 |
| Destination City | Cottonwood |
| Destination State | AZ |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing - roll |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 14 2007 1:28PM |
| User who most recently changed record | STAM |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 32 |
| Runway Length | 4250 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |