# Incident 20120311004839I: Backovich George C G P-5, Hollister, CA, March 11, 2012

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 11, 2012, 10:55 local time
- Place: Hollister, CA
- Airport: Hollister Municipal
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 36.8933° N, 121.4103° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at HOLLISTER MUNI (CVH), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.8933&lon=-121.4103&mi=10
- Aircraft: N153GB (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: BACKOVICH GEORGE C G P-5
- Reported engine: AMA/EXPR UNKNOWN ENG
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 8,000 total, 40 in this make and model, 7 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120311004839I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

THE PILOT STATED AT AROUND 1000 HOURS SUNDAY MORNING, MARCH 11, 2012, HE WAS CONDUCTING A TEST FLIGHT OF HIS AIRCRAFT AT THE HOLLISTER AIRPORT. HE WAS IN RADIO COMMUNICATION WITH HIS CREW CHIEF WHO WAS ON THE GROUND. THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED WITHIN A 5 MILE RADIUS OF THE HOLLISTER AIRPORT. UPON COMPLETION OF THE TEST THE PILOT LOWERED THE LANDING GEAR AND DID NOT RECEIVE A LIGHT ON THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR TO INDICATE IT WAS IN THE DOWN AND LOCKED POSITION. A VISUAL INSPECTION FROM HIS CREW CHIEF CONFIRMED THE GEAR WAS EXTENDED BUT NOT LOCKED IN THE VERTICAL(DOWN & LOCKED) POSITION. THE PILOT MADE A NUMBER OF ATTEMPTS TO LOCK THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR BY YAWING AND PORPOISING THE AIRCRAFT. HE WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. A DECISION WAS MADE TO LAND ON THE FAR LEFT SIDE OF RUNWAY 31 WITH THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR EXTENDED AND LOCKED DOWN AND THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR IN ITS UNLOCKED POSITION. THE HOLLISTER FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED WHILE THE PILOT CONTINUED TO ORBIT UNTIL THEY WERE ON SCENE. ONCE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS IN POSITION HE LANDED THE AIRCRAFT AS PLANNED AND HELD THE RIGHT WING OFF THE GROUND AS LONG AS POSSIBLE. THE PILOT SHUT OFF THE FUEL TO THE ENGINE SHORTLY BEFORE TOUCHDOWN.  AS THE AIRCRAFT SLOWED, IT BECAME IMPOSSIBLE TO HOLD THE RIGHT WING UP. THE RIGHT WING CONTACTED THE GROUND AT THE TIP INDUCING A YAWING MOTION TO THE AIRPLANE AND CAUSING IT TO VEER OFF THE RUNWAY INTO THE INFIELD. UPON CROSSING INTO THE SOFT GRASS OF THE INFIELD THE LEFT LANDING GEAR SHEARED OFF THE AIRPLANE. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP IN THE INFIELD AND THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO MAKE A NORMAL EGRESS.THERE WERE NO INJURIES RELATING TO THIS INCIDENT.

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.

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