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.
Pilot landed in Red Creek, AZ on an unpaved runway. The pilot landed hard and the nose wheel sustained damage. Due to the damage, there was not proper nose wheel steering. The pilot was unable to maintain directional control and went off the left side of the runway. The pilot stated that about 20 feet over the runway the aircraft started to sink rapidly, possibly due to a downdraft. There was no change to his airspeed. He stated he should have gone around but did not. The pilot stated he should not have taken that aircraft into that airport, it is at a high altitude and unpaved. The aircraft is known for its poor nose wheel construction and lacks the engine power to escape potentialy hazardous situations.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT LANDED IN RED CREEK, AZ ON AN UNPAVED RUNWAY. THE PILOT LANDED HARD AND THE NOSE WHEEL SUSTAINED DAMAGE. DUE TO THE DAMAGE, THERE WAS NOT PROPER NOSE WHEEL STEERING. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AND WENT OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY.THE PILOT STATED THAT ABOUT 20 FEET OVER THE RUNWAY THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TO SINK RAPIDLY, POSSIBLY DUE TO A DOWNDRAFT. THERE WAS NO CHANGE TO HIS AIRSPEED. HE STATED HE SHOULD HAVE GONE AROUND BUT DID NOT.THE PILOT STATED HE SHOULD NOT HAVE TAKEN THAT AIRCRAFT INTO THAT AIRPORT, IT IS AT A HIGH ALTITUDE AND UNPAVED. THE AIRCRAFT IS KNOWN FOR ITS POOR NOSE WHEEL CONSTRUCTION AND LACKS THE ENGINE POWER TO ESCAPE POTENTIALY HAZARDOUS SITUATIONS.
Other reports on N636EV · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.