# Accident 20151020019379A: Jason Sneed / Monika Bonczkova S-7S COURIER, Gerlach, NV, October 20, 2015

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 20, 2015, 11:15 local time
- Place: Gerlach, NV
- Airport: Empire
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Maneuver
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 40.5786° N, 119.3514° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at EMPIRE (18NV), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.5786&lon=-119.3514&mi=10
- Aircraft: N272X, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N272X) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Jason Sneed / Monika Bonczkova S-7S COURIER (registry code 056330I, https://openairdocs.org/model/jason-sneed-monika-bonczkova-s-7s-courier) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Rotax 914UL (registry code 55553, https://openairdocs.org/engine/rotax-914ul) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: JASON SNEED / MONIKA BONCZKOVA S-7S COURIER
- Reported engine: ROTAX 914UL
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 1,688 total, 286 in this make and model, 38 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20151020019379A

## Narrative

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

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?.

## NTSB investigation

None matched to this report by aircraft and date. Search the NTSB's own records: https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-main-public/basic-search

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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