Aviat A1 N79HY

Summary

On 11 October 2024 at about 22:40 local time, a Aviat A1 registered N79HY was involved in an accident near Rowlesburg, West Virginia, 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

11 October 2024 at 22:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Rowlesburg, West Virginia, United States

Nearest airport

Cheat River Island Airport (56WV)

Coordinates

39.3256, -79.6621

Aircraft

Aviat A1

Registration

N79HY

Category

Airplane

Year built

2005

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Jamestown → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

ERA25LA015

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll, resulting in the on-ground collision with trees.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot entered the airport traffic pattern on the downwind leg and turned onto the base and final legs for runway 31 with wind from 260° at 5 knots. A witness observed and the pilot reported a normal landing, with the airplane touching down an estimated 300 to 400 ft down the runway. The pilot stated that, during the landing roll, the airplane bounced about 3 ft then touched back down and then, with no brakes applied, the airplane began veering to the left. He attempted to correct with right rudder and right brake but the veer to the left continued and the airplane impacted trees on the left side of the runway. The pilot informed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airworthiness inspector that he had not noticed any tendencies for the airplane to pull left during landings on previous flights. Postaccident examination of the airplane by a FAA airworthiness inspector revealed substantial damage to the right wing. A check of the flight controls revealed they appeared to be intact and functioning properly. A check of the brakes was performed with no discrepancies noted. A detailed examination of the tail wheel assembly, which was installed in accordance with a supplemental type certificate, revealed it was installed in accordance with the installation requirements, with proper left and right steering springs installed and tensioned. A discrepancy with the tailwheel leaf spring not being centered was noted, but the airplane manufacturer representative reported to the FAA inspector that condition would have negligible effect on taxi operations.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.