Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Reading Rgnl/Carl A Spaatz Fie Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Reading, Pennsylvania 19605
Sunday, June 8, 2014 10:30 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped biplane prepared for landing with a reported 70-degree quartering left headwind at 9 knots. After touching down on the main landing gear, and as the pilot lowered the tail, the airplane began turning to the left. The pilot applied right rudder and brake in an attempt to arrest the turn, but was unsuccessful. The airplane turned 90 degrees to the left and skidded sideways before the right wheel separated from the landing gear. The lower right wing then contacted the runway, resulting in substantial damage to the outboard portion of the wing. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot further commented that during the landing, the wind appeared to be in a state of change and that the winds had shifted to a quartering tailwind during the accident sequence.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's loss of control while landing the tailwheel-equipped airplane in a quartering tailwind. A factor in the accident was the changing wind conditions.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/8/2014 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1030 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Reading |
| Event State | PENNSYLVANIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 19605 |
| Event Date Year | 2014 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 402225N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0755733W |
| Event Location Airport | READING RGNL/CARL A SPAATZ FIE |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | RDG |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | -- |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 137 |
| Airport Elevation | 343 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1054 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 222 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KRDG |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 353 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| 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) | 27 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 13 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 180 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 9 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 16 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.95 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KRDG 081454Z AUTO 18009G16KT 10SM CLR 27/13 |
| 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) | 32866 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Eastern ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 25 2014 9:17AM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N26M |
| NTSB Number | ERA14CA280 |
| 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 | BOEING |
| Aircraft Model | A75N1(PT17) |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 75-1925 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2950 |
| 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 | May 9 2014 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 10 |
| Airframe Hours | 3534 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | SAYLOR BRENDA E |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 9320 HICKORY RD |
| Aircraft Owner City | NEW PARK |
| Aircraft Owner State | PA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 173529534 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Mid Atlantic Air Museum |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Reading |
| Operator State | PA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 17352 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | RDG |
| Departure City | Reading |
| Departure State | PA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | RDG |
| Destination City | Reading |
| Destination State | PA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 25 2014 9:16AM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 31 |
| Runway Length | 6350 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |