| Crash location | 38.683889°N, 120.987500°W
Reported location is a long distance from the NTSB's reported nearest city. This often means that the location has a typo, or is incorrect. |
| Nearest city | Carlsbad, CA
33.158093°N, 117.350594°W 432.5 miles away |
| Tail number | N4418 |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 09 Apr 2008 |
| Aircraft type | Curtiss-Wright Travel Air 4000 |
| Additional details: | None |
Following an uneventful commercial air tour sightseeing flight in the 1928 model biplane, the pilot returned to the departure airport and prepared for landing on runway 24. The pilot stated that during his approach, air traffic control tower personnel reported that the wind was from 180 degrees at 5 knots. The pilot stated that he compensated for the wind by initiating a crab, and he landed on the runway. During the landing rollout, the airplane's lower right wing impacted the runway. The airplane suddenly reversed direction and ground looped to a stop.
On April 30, 2008, the operator's Director of Maintenance reported to the National Transportation Safety Board investigator that he had inspected the accident airplane and found no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunction. He reported that, during the ground loop event, three of the lower right wing's ribs were cracked, and its front and rear spars were broken.
The pilot's inadequate crosswind compensation and failure to maintain directional control during landing rollout.