Weather (Other) · NTSB CEN15FA257
MORSE FRANK L REBEL — Eagle, CO, CO
| Date | June 5, 2015 |
| Location | Eagle, CO, CO |
| Aircraft | MORSE FRANK L REBEL (amateur-built) |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Landing Other weather encounter |
| Pilot age | 68 |
| Pilot total time | 3,003 hrs · High time |
| Time in type | 92 hrs |
| Fatalities | 1, 1 serious |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Gusts-Response/compensation - C
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-(general)-Not attained/maintained - C
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Aircraft capability-Maximum crosswind component-Capability exceeded - C
What happened
The pilot was landing the experimental, amateur-built airplane in gusty, crosswind conditions. Witnesses observed the airplane enter a sharp left turn away from the runway at a very low altitude, overfly the airport taxiway and ramp area, then impact a hangar on the airport property. A witness stated that "the wind caught [the airplane]" as it was landing. The airplane had a stated crosswind limitation of 15 knots. Based on recorded wind data, the calculated crosswind component was between 13.7 knots and 16.8 knots. Examination of the airplane wreckage did not reveal any anomalies that would have prevented normal operation. The accident sequence is consistent with the pilot losing control of the airplane while landing in gusty, crosswind conditions that likely exceeded the recommended crosswind limitation of the airplane.