# Accident 20020416010499A: Amtr VELOCITY, Cleveland, TX, April 16, 2002 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: April 16, 2002, 19:45 local time - Place: Cleveland, TX - Airport: Cleveland Municipal Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 30.3628° N, 95.0106° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.3628&lon=-95.0106&mi=10 - Aircraft: N355BH, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N355BH) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Halfacre William D VELOCITY (registry code 056181E, https://openairdocs.org/model/halfacre-william-d-velocity) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming I0360 SER A&C (registry code 41511, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-i0360-ser-a-c) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AMTR VELOCITY - Reported engine: LYC O360A3A - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 1,684 total, 456 in this make and model, 12 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW02LA123](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW02LA123) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020416010499A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19) ON APRIL 16, 2002, APPROXIMATELY 1945 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, AN EXPERIMENTAL VELOCITY SINGLE-ENGINE AIRPLANE, N355BH, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT IMPACTED TERRAIN NEAR CLEVELAND, TEXAS. THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT, SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRPLANE, WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE LOCAL FLIGHT DEPARTED THE CLEVELAND MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, APPROXIMATELY 1900. ACCORDING TO THE FAA INSPECTOR WHO TRAVELED TO THE ACCIDENT SITE, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AS HE FLARED THE AIRPLANE AT APPROXIMATELY 30 TO 50 FEET AGL, A STRONG DOWNDRAFT WAS ENCOUNTERED. THE RATE OF DESCENT BECAME EXCESSIVE, WHICH PREVENTED THE PILOT FROM RECOVERING BEFORE THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED TERRAIN 48 FEET SHORT OF RUNWAY 16. THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED FORWARD, SLIDING 234 FEET DOWN THE RUNWAY, COMING TO REST 30 FEET OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY 03. THE FAA INSPECTOR REPORTED THERE WAS SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING JUST OUTBOARD OF THE LEFT AILERON. THE LEFT AND RIGHT LANDING GEAR HAD SEPARATED, AND THE NOSE GEAR WAS BENT BACK UP INTO THE AIRPLANE. THE CONROE1853 LOCAL AUTOMATED WEATHER OBSERVATION SERVICE (AWOS) REPORTED THE WIND WAS 150 DEGREE AT 11 KNOTS, VISIBILITY 10 STATUTE MILES, CLEAR SKIES, TEMPERATURE 26 DEGREES C, DEWPOINT 21 DEGREES C, AND AN ALTIMETER OF 30.00 INCHES OF MERCURY. (-23) THE COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS MAKING A NORMAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 16 AT THE CLEVELAND MUNICIPAL AIRPORT AT AN AIRSPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 90 MPH. AT APPROXIMATELY 30 TO 50 FT. AGL DURING THE FLARE, THE PILOT ENCOUNTERED LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR WHICH CAUSED AN EXCESSIVE LOSS OF AIRSPEED. THE PILOT COULD NOT ARREST THE DESCENT RATE WITH POWER, AND IMPACTED THE GROUND SHORT OF THE RUNWAY IN A NEARLY FLAT ATTITUDE. THE MAIN LANDING GEAR SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT DUE TO THE HARD LANDING, AND THE AIRCRAFT SLID APPROXIMATELY 234 FT. PRIOR TO COMING TO REST ON THE LEFT SIDE OF RUNWAY 16. THE LEFT WING SPAR WAS CRACKED JUST INBOARD OF THE LEFT AILERON. (.4) ON APRIL 16, 2002, AT 1840 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A HALFACRE VELOCITY SINGLE-ENGINE HOMEBUILT AIRPLANE, N355BH, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A HARD LANDING NEAR CLEVELAND, TEXAS. THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO AND OP ERATED BY A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT, SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRPLANE, WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT, AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED. THE LOCAL FLIGHT DEPARTED THE CLEVELAND MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, CLEVELAND, TEXAS, APPROXIMATELY 1750. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT/OPERATOR AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT REPORT (NTSB FORM 6120.1/2), THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AS HE WAS BEGINNING HIS FLARE PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN, HE ENCOUNTERED A "ROTOR" (A STRONG GUST OF WIND) WHICH "CAUSED A HIGH DESCENT RATE." THE AIRPLANE CONTACTED THE GROUND SHORT OF THE RUNWAY, AND THE LEFT MAIN GEAR SEPARATED. THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED DOWN THE RUNWAY ON THE NOSE GEAR, RIGHT MAIN GEAR, AND LEFT WINGTIP. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, WHERE THE NOSE GEAR AND RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR SEPARATED. ACCORDING TO THE FAA INSPECTOR, WHO RESPONDED TO THE ACCIDENT SITE, THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED TERRAIN 48 FEET SHORT OF RUNWAY 16. IT THEN SLID APPROXIMATELY 234 FEET DOWN THE RUNWAY, COMING TO REST UPRIGHT 30 FEET OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. AT 1853, THE CONROE, TEXAS, AUTOMATED WEATHER OBSERVATION SERVICE (AWOS), LOCATED 22 MILES WEST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE, REPORTED THE WIND FROM 150 DEGREES AT 11 KNOTS, VISIBILITY 10 STATUTE MILES, SKY CLEAR, TEMPERATURE 26 DEGREES C, DEW POINT 21 DEGREES C, AND AN ALTIMETER OF 30.00 INCHES OF MERCURY. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB FTW02LA123](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW02LA123), Apr 16, 2002: Halfacre Velocity (N355BH), Cleveland, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: the pilot's failure to maintain the proper descent rate during the landing flare/touchdown. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.