20140521006749A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Lauritsen Ralph M RV 4 · Rockwell City, IA · May 21, 2014

Date: May 21, 2014 · 11:00 local
Place: Rockwell City, IA
Airport: Rockwell City Municipal
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N50036
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN14CA264
Reported as: Lauritsen Ralph M RV 4
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 137 total24 in this make and model3 in the last 90 days

N50036Registered now · Lauritsen Ralph M RV 4S/N 693 · Built 1989 Airframe modelLauritsen Ralph M RV 4 Engine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

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.

The aircraft was attempting to land on runway 30 at Rockwell City, IA (2Y4). The reported wind at the nearest reporting airport, fort dodge, IA, was 360 at 9KTS gusting to 14 knots. During the landing flare the nose of the aircraft got high and the pilot pushed the stick forward causing the propeller to impact the runway. The impact damaged the firewall and the main landing gear. There were marks on the runway and the left wing of the aircraft indicating the left wing made the initial contact with the ground. There were no injuries to the pilot 0R passenger.

As the FAA filed it

THE AIRCRAFT WAS ATTEMPTING TO LAND ON RUNWAY 30 AT ROCKWELL CITY, IA (2Y4). THE REPORTED WIND AT THE NEAREST REPORTING AIRPORT, FORT DODGE, IA, WAS 360 AT 9KTS GUSTING TO 14 KNOTS. DURING THE LANDING FLARE THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT GOT HIGH AND THE PILOT PUSHED THE STICK FORWARD CAUSING THE PROPELLER TO IMPACT THE RUNWAY. THE IMPACT DAMAGED THE FIREWALL AND THE MAIN LANDING GEAR. THERE WERE MARKS ON THE RUNWAY AND THE LEFT WING OF THE AIRCRAFT INDICATING THE LEFT WING MADE THE INITIAL CONTACT WITH THE GROUND. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE PILOT 0R PASSENGER.

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 CEN14CA264Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportRockwell City, IAThe pilot's improper landing flare which resulted in a hard landing.May 21, 2014 · Substantial damage