Fenton DAVIS DA-2A N808F

Summary

On 23 November 2011 at about 19:00 local time, a Fenton DAVIS DA-2A registered N808F, operated by Robert B Flannigan, was involved in an accident near Center, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

23 November 2011 at 19:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Center, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Center (F17)

Coordinates

31.8256, -94.1539

Aircraft

Fenton DAVIS DA-2A

Registration

N808F

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Robert B Flannigan

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Llano Municpal → Center

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN12CA081

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s inadequate compensation for gusty, crosswind conditions while landing, which resulted in a loss of directional control. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of familiarity with the airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot purchased the airplane on the day of the accident and received only one hour of instruction from the previous owner prior to departing for his home airport. Prior to making his first fuel stop, the pilot received weather information from an airport 44 miles away and knew he would land with a slight crosswind. He had to abort his first two attempts to land due to turbulent and gusty wind conditions. On the third landing attempt, the airplane encountered a gust from the right just as the wheels touched down, and it was pushed toward the left side of the runway. The pilot applied full power and tried to go around, but the airplane continued to veer off the side of the runway toward a ditch. The pilot said he pulled the throttle to idle before the airplane collided with the ditch but forgot to use the hand brake, since he was not used to using a hand brake (versus toe brakes) to slow the airplane. The airplane collided with the ditch and came to rest on its nose. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the inboard section of the left wing. The pilot reported no mechanical problems with the airplane or engine and said his lack of familiarity with the airplane contributed to the accident. The closest weather facility to the accident site, which was 46 nautical miles northwest, reported wind gusting to 15 knots.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.