What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot reported that he was landing into the wind at the Nephi, Utah airport. Upon landing it appeared that braking was applied unevenly resulting in swerve to the left and then back to right. The aircraft then swerved back to the left scraping the left wingtip on the runway. It continued toward the left edge of the runway with both brakes locked. The aircraft was approaching the edge of the runway at a 45 degree angle. 10 feet from the edge of the runway the brakes were unlocked and the pilot attempted to takeoff. He became airborne for about 1/4 mile at a speed below which the aircraft would not respond properly to control inputs. He elected to crash land because the control difficulty. During the investigation the brakes were found to be soft and air was observed in a plastic brake line. Brake system was intact. The pilot said he had bled the brakes 2 days previously. The uneven braking was caused by the pilot pumping the brakes to get them to work effectively. (.4) on August 11, 2002, at approximately 1745 mountain daylight time, a collette RV6 homebuilt airplane, N835YC, operated by the pilot, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain during an attempted go-around at Nephi Municipal Airport (U14), Nephi, Utah. The private pilot, the sole occupant on board, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. No flight plan had been filed for this personal local flight being conducted under title 14 CFR part 91. The flight originated at approximately 1730. According to the pilot, while landing on runway 16 and after touch down on the centerline, the airplane veered to the left. He corrected with right rudder control input and brought the airplane back to the centerline. The left wing tip dipped and struck the runway causing the airplane to veer to the left a second time. He added full power, right rudder and aileron and attempted a go-around. The airplane departed the left side of the runway and became airborne for a moment, but the controls felt "sluggish," and the airplane would not climb. He continued over some farm equipment, a road, a fence and he set up for a forced landing in a field. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing spar and both main landing gear attachment points. At 1735, the reported weather conditions at provo municipal airport (pvu), provo, Utah, (approximately 30 nautical miles and at 350 degrees from the accident site) was wind, 330 degrees at 10 knots; visibility, 10 statute miles; sky condition, clear; temperature, 34 degrees c.; dew point, 02 degrees c.; altimeter setting, 29.97.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS LANDING INTO THE WIND AT THE NEPHI, UTAH AIRPORT. UPON LANDING IT APPEARED THAT BRAKING WAS APPLIED UNEVENLY RESULTING IN SWERVE TO THE LEFT AND THEN BACK TO RIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT THEN SWERVED BACK TO THE LEFT SCRAPING THE LEFT WINGTIP ON THE RUNWAY. IT CONTINUED TOWARD THE LEFT EDGE OF THE RUNWAY WITH BOTH BRAKES LOCKED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS APPROACHING THE EDGE OF THE RUNWAY AT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE. 10 FEET FROM THE EDGE OF THE RUNWAY THE BRAKES WERE UNLOCKED AND THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO TAKEOFF. HE BECAME AIRBORNE FOR ABOUT 1/4 MILE AT A SPEED BELOW WHICH THE AIRCRAFT WOULD NOT RESPOND PROPERLY TO CONTROL INPUTS. HE ELECTED TO CRASH LAND BECAUSE THE CONTROL DIFFICULTY. DURING THE INVESTIGATION THE BRAKES WERE FOUND TO BE SOFT AND AIR WAS OBSERVED IN A PLASTIC BRAKE LINE. BRAKE SYSTEM WAS INTACT. THE PILOT SAID HE HAD BLED THE BRAKES 2 DAYS PREVIOUSLY. THE UNEVEN BRAKING WAS CAUSED BY THE PILOT PUMPING THE BRAKES TO GET THEM TO WORK EFFECTIVELY. (.4) ON AUGUST 11, 2002, AT APPROXIMATELY 1745 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, A COLLETTE RV6 HOMEBUILT AIRPLANE, N835YC, OPERATED BY THE PILOT, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT IMPACTED TERRAIN DURING AN ATTEMPTED GO-AROUND AT NEPHI MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (U14), NEPHI, UTAH. THE PRIVATE PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT ON BOARD, WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED. NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED FOR THIS PERSONAL LOCAL FLIGHT BEING CONDUCTED UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT APPROXIMATELY 1730. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, WHILE LANDING ON RUNWAY 16 AND AFTER TOUCH DOWN ON THE CENTERLINE, THE AIRPLANE VEERED TO THE LEFT. HE CORRECTED WITH RIGHT RUDDER CONTROL INPUT AND BROUGHT THE AIRPLANE BACK TO THE CENTERLINE. THE LEFT WING TIP DIPPED AND STRUCK THE RUNWAY CAUSING THE AIRPLANE TO VEER TO THE LEFT A SECOND TIME. HE ADDED FULL POWER, RIGHT RUDDER AND AILERON AND ATTEMPTED A GO-AROUND. THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND BECAME AIRBORNE FOR A MOMENT, BUT THE CONTROLS FELT "SLUGGISH," AND THE AIRPLANE WOULD NOT CLIMB. HE CONTINUED OVER SOME FARM EQUIPMENT, A ROAD, A FENCE AND HE SET UP FOR A FORCED LANDING IN A FIELD. THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING SPAR AND BOTH MAIN LANDING GEAR ATTACHMENT POINTS. AT 1735, THE REPORTED WEATHER CONDITIONS AT PROVO MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (PVU), PROVO, UTAH, (APPROXIMATELY 30 NAUTICAL MILES AND AT 350 DEGREES FROM THE ACCIDENT SITE) WAS WIND, 330 DEGREES AT 10 KNOTS; VISIBILITY, 10 STATUTE MILES; SKY CONDITION, CLEAR; TEMPERATURE, 34 DEGREES C.; DEW POINT, 02 DEGREES C.; ALTIMETER SETTING, 29.97.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.