Emmet Smith ROADRUNNER N949TS

Summary

On 29 January 2019 at about 22:27 local time, a Emmet Smith ROADRUNNER registered N949TS was involved in an accident near Truckee, California, United States. One person was 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

29 January 2019 at 22:27

Classification

Accident

Location

Truckee, California, United States

Nearest airport

Truckee-Tahoe (TRK)

Coordinates

39.3200, -120.1394

Aircraft

Emmet Smith ROADRUNNER

Registration

N949TS

Category

Airplane

Year built

2018

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Beckwourth → Truckee

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA19CA120

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s improper decision to allow the airplane to exit the runway onto a snow-covered field, which resulted in a nose-over. 

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, during the landing roll, the tailwheel-equipped airplane began to ground loop to the left. He corrected with opposite rudder and aileron and regained control of the airplane, but the airplane started to veer right. The pilot added that, while the airplane was veering right toward the edge of the runway, he assumed the snow on the adjacent field was compacted and would efficiently slow the airplane, so he let the airplane exit the runway to the right; however, the snow was "softer than [he] anticipated," and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right-wing lift strut. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The airport's automated weather observation system reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 020º at 3 knots. The pilot landed the airplane on runway 20.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.