Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to adequately compensate for the crosswind condition during landing, which resulted in a ground loop and the subsequent wing tip collision with the runway.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
A certified flight instructor (cfi), and the 26 hour student pilot/owner of the airplane, departed in the airplane for a local training flight. According to the cfi, 'during the landing, touch down was approximately one thousand feet from the approach end of runway 32. A sudden gust of wind came from the right; i applied hard left rudder and brake with no effect, during this time the left wing tip struck the pavement. The plane left the runway onto the turf; there, with the left brake locked, the loop halted, but the nose slowly tipped down.' the cfi reported 'the entire incident took place at slow speed, apparently too slow for the flight control to have any countering effect.'
Source record
Factual narrative
On October 15, 1994, at 1155 eastern daylight time, a Boeing Stearman PT-17, N4923N, owned by Joseph E. Innamorati and piloted by Richard F. Cable, a certified flight instructor (CFI), was substantially damaged during a ground loop at the Fitchburg Municipal Airport (FIT), Fitchburg, Massachusetts. The flight instructor and student pilot were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the flight operating under 14 CFR 91. The 74 year old CFI was giving flight instruction in N4923N, to the owner and non-rated 69 year old student pilot, Mr. Joseph Innamorati. In the NTSB Form 6120.1/2, the CFI stated that he and the owner departed the Sterling Airport, Sterling Massachusetts for a local flight. During the flight they decided to practice takeoff and landings at FIT, and the CFI made the first approach. The CFI further stated: "...During the first landing, touch down was approximately one thousand feet from the approach end of runway 32. A sudden gust of wind came from the right; I applied hard left rudder and brake with no effect, during this time the left wing tip struck the pavement. The plane left the runway onto the turf; there with the left brake locked, the loop halted, but the nose slowly tipped down..." The CFI had accumulated approximately 19,500 hours of flight experience, with about 250 hours in make and model. The winds at an airport nearby were reported to be from 060 degrees at 10 knots. -