Curtiss-Wright 12Q accident near Erie, Colorado, July 27, 2008
On July 27, 2008 at about 2:30 pm local time, a Curtiss-Wright 12Q, registered N496W, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Erie, Colorado. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Failure of the tail wheel control cable during landing roll out, which resulted in a loss of control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 27, 2008 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Erie, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Curtiss-Wright 12Q
- Registration
- N496W · registry record · serial 2023
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot was returning from a local flight in his vintage single-engine, bi-wing airplane, which was equipped with a tail wheel. He said the winds were light and variable when he made a normal landing on the asphalt runway. However, during the landing roll-out, the airplane suddenly entered a left turn and the pilot was unable to correct with right rudder and brake. The airplane entered the grass area adjacent to the runway, dragging its right wing tip, before it came to rest up on its nose. Examination of the airplane by an FAA inspector revealed that the tail wheel control cable had disconnected from the spring on the right side, which caused the left side spring to pull the tail wheel to the left. In addition, two ribs in the lower right wing were broken.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Nose/tail landing gear › Failure
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,500 hours in all; 500 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming RL-3247-27 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EIK Erie CO
- Destination: EIK Erie CO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N496W the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.