Boeing B75N1 accident near Culpeper, Virginia, July 12, 2008
On July 12, 2008 at about 5:25 pm local time, a Boeing B75N1, registered N1066M, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Culpeper, Virginia (Culpeper airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane while landing in a quartering tailwind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 12, 2008 · about 5:25 pm local time
- Place
- Culpeper, Virginia · Culpeper · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing B75N1 · all B75N1s on the register
- Registration
- N1066M · registry record · serial 75-7932
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
As the pilot was landing the tailwheel-equipped biplane on runway 4 (a 5,000-foot-long, 100-foot-wide asphalt runway), the airplane touched down on the main landing gear and started to veer to the left. The pilot attempted to return the airplane to the center of the runway by applying rudder control; however, the airplane subsequently veered right, exited the right side of the runway, entered a ditch, and nosed over. The pilot stated that he did not experience any mechanical malfunctions with the airplane, and none were revealed during a postaccident examination by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector. Another inspector observed a windsock near the runway that indicated winds between 160 and 180 degrees and of no more than 5 knots within a half an hour of the accident. This wind may have caused the airplane to swerve into the wind (to the right), compounding the effect of the rudder applied by the pilot to correct the initial veer to the left. Tailwheel-type airplanes, such as the accident airplane, have a greater tendency to be affected by wind than nosewheel-type airplanes because the surface area behind the landing gear of a tailwheel-type airplane is greater.
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
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Not specified
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,317 hours in all; 377 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 1,151 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 4, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,185 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 2007; 13 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,968 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor W670 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CJR Culpeper VA at 5:20 pm
- Destination: CJR Culpeper VA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 04, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,700 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 5:20 pm from CJR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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 N1066M 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.