Amateur-built THOMPSON CRAFT accident near Port Angeles, Washington, September 1, 2024
On September 1, 2024 at about 9:30 pm local time, a 2009 amateur-built THOMPSON CRAFT, registered N954RD, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Port Angeles, Washington (William R Fairchild Internatio airport). 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the landing rollout, which resulted in a ground loop.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 1, 2024 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Port Angeles, Washington · William R Fairchild Internatio · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built THOMPSON CRAFT, built 2009
- Registration
- N954RD · registry record · serial 2009
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that during landing, the airplane bounced and when the airplane touched back down, the tail moved to the left. He applied left rudder to correct the movement, however, the airplane ground looped to the right, nosed over and came to rest inverted. The left wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures 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 defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Task monitoring/vigilance › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 703 hours in all; 8 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 703 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 19, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 200 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, May 3, 2024
- Maximum gross weight: 1,350 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 6,347 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 am from KCLM
Weather report (METAR): KCLM 011853Z AUTO VRB03KT 10SM CLR 24/14 A2992 RMK AO2 SLP132 T02440144
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on March 6, 2025. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR24LA301.