Primary finding
Probable cause
failure to maintain directional control. A factor related to the accident was the pilot's fatigue.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot and his passenger were en route from boulder city, nevada, to oskosh, wisconsin. They had departed boulder city at 0545 (pdt). On this leg of the flight they had departed newton, kansas, at 1848(cdt). The pilot landed at fulton, missouri, at 2055(cdt). The pilot failed to maintain directional control, and the airplane ground-looped during landing rollout. The pilot had gotten only 4 hours of sleep on each of the two nights preceding the departure from boulder city. The pilot stated: 'i was simply behind the aircraft during landing, not realizing how fatigued i was.'
Source record
Factual narrative
On July 22, 1993 at 2055 central daylight time, a Cessna 305B, N26213, sustained substantial damage from a ground loop during landing rollout on runway 23 at the Elton Hensley Memorial Airport, Fulton, Missouri. The commercial pilot and his passenger were not injured. The personal flight originated at the Newton Kansas City-County Airport at 1848. A VFR flight plan was filed, and visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. The pilot and his passenger were en route from Boulder City, Nevada to Oshkosh, Wisconsin. In his statement, the pilot reports that he had gotten only 4 hours of sleep the nights of July 20 and 21. On July 22, the day of the accident, the pilot arose at 0330 (Pacific daylight time), and departed at 0545. He stated: "There were no rest periods at refuel stops, all were a 'quick turn', lunch was eaten in the aircraft during flight. I was simply behind the aircraft during landing not realizing how fatigued I was." -