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20151020019379A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Jason Sneed / Monika Bonczkova S-7S COURIER · Gerlach, NV · October 20, 2015

FAA Aviation Safety Information PortalNTSB investigation search

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Date
October 20, 2015 · 11:15 local
Place
Gerlach, NV
Airport
Empire
Phase of flight
Maneuver
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N272X
Reported as
Jason Sneed / Monika Bonczkova S-7S Courier
Reported engine
ROTAX 914UL
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,688 total286 in this make and model38 in the last 90 days
N272XRegistered now · Jason Sneed / Monika Bonczkova S-7S COURIERS/N 1213601Airframe modelJason Sneed / Monika Bonczkova S-7S COURIEREngine modelRotax 914UL4 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.

The pilot stated, while in route from UT99 to rno at 1000AGL as he approached the town of Gerlach he saw a windsock and landing strip and decided to descend and fly over the airport to take a closer look. He also noted the windsock and the wind was blowing straight down the airstrip. "After descending more and flying downwind I started a left turn so that I could fly upwind parallel to the airstrip and take a better look." He then stated, ?I went to full flaps then maybe 5 seconds after that I started the left turn. I completed the left turn and saw the landing strip and windsock I was offset maybe 1/8 of a mile and a mile to a mile and a half west of the airstrip while flying parallel to the runway. At this point the flight controls in pitch became loose as if the tail stalled but it roll the flight controls felt normal, and the plane did not feel or indicate a stall, and right after that the aircraft pitched nose down. As soon as the nose pitched down I added power, at this point my sensation was that the plane was flying but being pushed to the ground with no feedback from the elevator. As the ground approached my thought moved to just try and add back pressure at the last second to try and have the bush wheels impact the ground first to take the impact energy which is what happened?.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT STATED, WHILE IN ROUTE FROM UT99 TO RNO AT 1000AGL AS HE APPROACHED THE TOWN OF GERLACH HE SAW A WINDSOCK AND LANDING STRIP AND DECIDED TO DESCEND AND FLY OVER THE AIRPORT TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK. HE ALSO NOTED THE WINDSOCK AND THE WIND WAS BLOWING STRAIGHT DOWN THE AIRSTRIP. "AFTER DESCENDING MORE AND FLYING DOWNWIND I STARTED A LEFT TURN SO THAT I COULD FLY UPWIND PARALLEL TO THE AIRSTRIP AND TAKE A BETTER LOOK." HE THEN STATED, ?I WENT TO FULL FLAPS THEN MAYBE 5 SECONDS AFTER THAT I STARTED THE LEFT TURN. I COMPLETED THE LEFT TURN AND SAW THE LANDING STRIP AND WINDSOCK I WAS OFFSET MAYBE 1/8 OF A MILE AND A MILE TO A MILE AND A HALF WEST OF THE AIRSTRIP WHILE FLYING PARALLEL TO THE RUNWAY. AT THIS POINT THE FLIGHT CONTROLS IN PITCH BECAME LOOSE AS IF THE TAIL STALLED BUT IT ROLL THE FLIGHT CONTROLS FELT NORMAL, AND THE PLANE DID NOT FEEL OR INDICATE A STALL, AND RIGHT AFTER THAT THE AIRCRAFT PITCHED NOSE DOWN. AS SOON AS THE NOSE PITCHED DOWN I ADDED POWER, AT THIS POINT MY SENSATION WAS THAT THE PLANE WAS FLYING BUT BEING PUSHED TO THE GROUND WITH NO FEEDBACK FROM THE ELEVATOR. AS THE GROUND APPROACHED MY THOUGHT MOVED TO JUST TRY AND ADD BACK PRESSURE AT THE LAST SECOND TO TRY AND HAVE THE BUSH WHEELS IMPACT THE GROUND FIRST TO TAKE THE IMPACT ENERGY WHICH IS WHAT HAPPENED?.