20020820023599A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Amtr VANS RV-6 · Chesnee, SC · August 20, 2002

Date
August 20, 2002 · 19:30 local
Place
Chesnee, SC
Airport
Private
Phase of flight
Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N190TB
Reported as
Amtr VANSRV6
Reported engine
Lycoming O320B3A
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
2,000 total25 in this make and model50 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) On August 20, 2002, Mr. Robert lawing was acting as pilot in command of N190TB, an experimental amatuer built aircraft. Mr. Lawing is the owner and was the sole occupant of the aircraft when it was involved in a landing accident. During a landing attempt at his Private strip, located in Chesnee, SC, the aircraft contacted the ground hard and bounced high. When power was added the aircraft veered left and contacted the tree line and came to rest upside down. The aircraft sustained substantial damage and the pilot sustained serious injuries. (.4) on August 21, 2002, about 1930 eastern daylight time, a homebuilt barnes vans RV6, N190TB, registered to an individual, impacted with trees during an aborted landing at a Private airstrip near Chesnee, south carolina. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan was filed. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR part 91. The airplane was substantially damaged. The Private-rated pilot reported serious injuries. The flight had departed from the state line ultraport, Chesnee, at 1900. According to the pilot he had landed in an easterly direction at his PR ivate grass airstrip. The airstrip was about 1,300 feet in length, and has a hump in the middle. He attempted to land before the hump. He said at touchdown the airplane "bounced" and touched down a "second time." He added full power to the engine and the airplane "veered to the left." The left wing struck some trees, and then nosed over. An interview with the pilot by an FAA inspector revealed that he flew the approach slow, about 65 knots, with full flaps, because he wanted to land before the hump in the runway. During the flare the nose would not come up any higher, so the airplane hit the ground hard, and bounced high. The FAA inspector asked the pilot if the airplane had encountered any mechanical discrepancies and the pilot stated that it did not.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON AUGUST 20, 2002, MR. ROBERT LAWING WAS ACTING AS PILOT IN COMMAND OF N190TB, AN EXPERIMENTAL AMATUER BUILT AIRCRAFT. MR. LAWING IS THE OWNER AND WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT WHEN IT WAS INVOLVED IN A LANDING ACCIDENT. DURING A LANDING ATTEMPT AT HIS PRIVATE STRIP, LOCATED IN CHESNEE, SC, THE AIRCRAFT CONTACTED THE GROUND HARD AND BOUNCED HIGH. WHEN POWER WAS ADDED THE AIRCRAFT VEERED LEFT AND CONTACTED THE TREE LINE AND CAME TO REST UPSIDE DOWN. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND THE PILOT SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. (.4) ON AUGUST 21, 2002, ABOUT 1930 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A HOMEBUILT BARNES VANS RV6, N190TB, REGISTERED TO AN INDIVIDUAL, IMPACTED WITH TREES DURING AN ABORTED LANDING AT A PRIVATE AIRSTRIP NEAR CHESNEE, SOUTH CAROLINA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE PRIVATE-RATED PILOT REPORTED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE FLIGHT HAD DEPARTED FROM THE STATE LINE ULTRAPORT, CHESNEE, AT 1900. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT HE HAD LANDED IN AN EASTERLY DIRECTION AT HIS PR IVATE GRASS AIRSTRIP. THE AIRSTRIP WAS ABOUT 1,300 FEET IN LENGTH, AND HAS A HUMP IN THE MIDDLE. HE ATTEMPTED TO LAND BEFORE THE HUMP. HE SAID AT TOUCHDOWN THE AIRPLANE "BOUNCED" AND TOUCHED DOWN A "SECOND TIME." HE ADDED FULL POWER TO THE ENGINE AND THE AIRPLANE "VEERED TO THE LEFT." THE LEFT WING STRUCK SOME TREES, AND THEN NOSED OVER. AN INTERVIEW WITH THE PILOT BY AN FAA INSPECTOR REVEALED THAT HE FLEW THE APPROACH SLOW, ABOUT 65 KNOTS, WITH FULL FLAPS, BECAUSE HE WANTED TO LAND BEFORE THE HUMP IN THE RUNWAY. DURING THE FLARE THE NOSE WOULD NOT COME UP ANY HIGHER, SO THE AIRPLANE HIT THE GROUND HARD, AND BOUNCED HIGH. THE FAA INSPECTOR ASKED THE PILOT IF THE AIRPLANE HAD ENCOUNTERED ANY MECHANICAL DISCREPANCIES AND THE PILOT STATED THAT IT DID NOT.