Cubcrafters Inc CC11-160 accident near Mesa, Arizona, April 19, 2013
On April 19, 2013 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Cubcrafters Inc CC11-160, registered N924JS, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Mesa, Arizona (Falcon Field Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll, which resulted in a ground loop.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 19, 2013 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Mesa, Arizona · Falcon Field Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cubcrafters Inc CC11-160 · all CC11-160s on the register
- Registration
- N924JS · registry record · serial CC11-00253
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that upon touchdown in the tailwheel-equipped airplane, his application of right rudder control was too aggressive and the airplane ground looped. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing, aileron, and elevator. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 650 hours in all; 25 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 575 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 20, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 35 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 2013; 35 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Club Crafters Inc. CC340 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FFZ Mesa AZ at 5:45 pm
- Destination: FFZ Mesa AZ
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 04, 5,101 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point -2°F (-19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 5:48 pm from FFZ
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
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 N924JS 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.