Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Walnut Ridge Regional Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Walnut Ridge, Arkansas 72476
Thursday, June 21, 2012 13:00 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot was practicing touch-and-go landings when the accident occurred. The pilot stated that the tailwheel-equipped airplane encountered an "abrupt gust of wind" during the landing flare that lifted the tail, placing the airplane into a nose-low attitude. The airplane subsequently impacted the runway and nosed over onto its back. The pilot noted that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. The pilot reported that during the accident flight he saw several "dust devils" or “whirlwinds” in the agricultural fields surrounding the airport and attributed the wind gust encountered during the landing flare to one of those events. A postaccident review of the available wind data revealed the prevailing wind was from the south at 11 knots, which resulted in a left quartering crosswind of about 7 knots.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control after encountering a whirlwind or dust-devil during the landing flare.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/21/2012 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1300 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Walnut Ridge |
| Event State | ARKANSAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 72476 |
| Event Date Year | 2012 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 360729N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0905530W |
| Event Location Airport | Walnut Ridge Regional Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | KARG |
| 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 | 279 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1255 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KARG |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 279 |
| 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) | 31 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 18 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 180 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 11 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.97 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KARG 211815Z AUTO 16014KT 10SM CLR 32/19 A29 |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 30091 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA - Little Rock FSDO |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 6 2012 3:22PM |
| User who most recently changed record | bowl |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N9497A |
| NTSB Number | CEN12LA386 |
| 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 | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 140A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 15318 |
| 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 | Dec 29 2011 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 4084 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Howard Gipson |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Paragould |
| Aircraft Owner State | AR |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 72450 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | Howard Gipson |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Paragould |
| Operator State | AR |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 72450 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| 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 | PVT |
| Departure City | Walnut Ridge |
| Departure State | AR |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1200 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | KARG |
| Destination City | Walnut Ridge |
| Destination State | AR |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 4 2012 9:25AM |
| User who most recently changed record | foxt |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 22 |
| Runway Length | 6001 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |