20130309004019A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Rainbow Aircraft PTY COBRA · Camden, SC · March 9, 2013

Date: March 9, 2013 · 16:30 local
Place: Camden, SC
Airport: Woodward Field
Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N78DK
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA13CA161
Reported as: Rainbow Aircraft PTY Cobra
Reported engine: ROTAX 503 DCDI
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1
Pilot’s certificates: Private pilot, sport pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 213 total24 in this make and model24 in the last 90 days

N78DKRegistration cancelled Jun 4, 2013 · Rainbow Aircraft PTY COBRAS/N C-078 · Built 2005 Airframe modelRainbow Aircraft PTY COBRA Engine modelRotax 503 DCDI2 cycle

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.

On March 09, 2013 at approximately 1630 the pilot departed runway 06 at Woodward Field, Camden south carolina, to do pattern work. On the first down wind leg the aircraft climbed without warning. The pilot stated he could not get the aircraft to decend. The pilot turned base and continued to keep the control bar near him (pulled to his chest). On final, at about 400 feet the nose pitched down at a 45 degree angle and the aircraft impacted runway 06 to the right of the center line at about 1100 feet from the end of the runway. The aircraft bounced and settled about 50 feet further down and about at the center line of the runway. At this point the right gear broke off the aircraft, the main fuselage tube structure separated behind the nose gear attach point. The aircraft continued sliding across the runway for an additional 160 feet. The aircraft came to rest at the left edge of the runway on an approximate heading of 60 degrees.

As the FAA filed it

ON MARCH 09, 2013 AT APPROXIMATELY 1630 THE PILOT DEPARTED RUNWAY 06 AT WOODWARD FIELD, CAMDEN SOUTH CAROLINA, TO DO PATTERN WORK. ON THE FIRST DOWN WIND LEG THE AIRCRAFT CLIMBED WITHOUT WARNING. THE PILOT STATED HE COULD NOT GET THE AIRCRAFT TO DECEND. THE PILOT TURNED BASE AND CONTINUED TO KEEP THE CONTROL BAR NEAR HIM (PULLED TO HIS CHEST). ON FINAL, AT ABOUT 400 FEET THE NOSE PITCHED DOWN AT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE AND THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED RUNWAY 06 TO THE RIGHT OF THE CENTER LINE AT ABOUT 1100 FEET FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED AND SETTLED ABOUT 50 FEET FURTHER DOWN AND ABOUT AT THE CENTER LINE OF THE RUNWAY. AT THIS POINT THE RIGHT GEAR BROKE OFF THE AIRCRAFT, THE MAIN FUSELAGE TUBE STRUCTURE SEPARATED BEHIND THE NOSE GEAR ATTACH POINT. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED SLIDING ACROSS THE RUNWAY FOR AN ADDITIONAL 160 FEET. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST AT THE LEFT EDGE OF THE RUNWAY ON AN APPROXIMATE HEADING OF 60 DEGREES.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ERA13CA161Accident · Minor injuriesData collectionFinal reportCamden, SCThe pilot's failure to maintain airplane control during the approach to land.Mar 9, 2013 · Substantial damage