Crash location | 37.861667°N, 120.178611°W |
Nearest city | Groveland, CA
37.838261°N, 120.232689°W 3.4 miles away |
Tail number | N17AJ |
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Accident date | 12 Feb 2011 |
Aircraft type | BAL-AIR INC/WAYNE John K Christen Eagle |
Additional details: | None |
The pilot stated on the NTSB Pilot Aircraft Accident Report that as the airplane settled on runway 27 it passed some hangars and a hill, and the tail was pushed by a crosswind. The pilot tried to correct the movement but was unsuccessful. The airplane departed the runway at 35-40 mph, pivoted up on the nose, twisted to the right, and settled back down on its landing gear. Substantial damage to the left wing tip of the top wing was identified. The pilot reported that the airplane and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.
The pilot's failure to compensate for crosswind conditions and maintain directional control during the landing roll, which resulted in a runway excursion.