What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On March 5, 2017, about 1759 pacific standard time, a Lancair LC41-550FG, N2516K, impacted the terrain during an attempted visual flight rules (VFR) go-around from runway 17R at Henderson executive airport (khnd), Henderson, Nevada. The private pilot received minor injuries, and the passenger received serious injuries. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The 14 code of federal regulations part 91 personal flight departed appleton, Wisconsin on a cross-country flight to Henderson, Nevada with intermediate stops in hutchinson, Kansas and moriarty, new Mexico for fuel.
During the final approach into khnd, the pilot stated that he encountered variable wind gusts. During the landing flare, the pilot stated that he experienced a strong wind gust that rolled the aircraft to the left with the left wing nearly 90 degrees to the ground. The pilot stated he immediately initiated a go-around while trying to correct the bank angle of the aircraft. While banked in the left turn, the aircraft descended into the ground. The pilot stated that he had previously flown in similiar strong gusty crosswinds, but he had never experienced wind conditions that resulted in the accident. The khnd METAR weather data at 17:56 (PST) was reporting winds 220 degrees at 31 knots with wind gusts at 38 knots.
Ground scars indicate that the aircraft's left wing initially contacted the terrain approximately 430 feet left of the runway 17R centerline. Fragments of the navigation light lens were found at that location. About 25 feet further along the impact track, which ran on a heading of about 135 degrees, evidence of the nosegear collapse and the propeller making surface contact was noted. About 20 feet further, evidence of the right main landing gear wheel/tire assembly separated followed by the collapse of the right main landing gear leg approximately 23 feet further. The aircraft came to rest in a drainage culvert approximately 200 feet from the initial contact with terrain.
The accident, based on the situation involving rapidly changing wind/weather conditions and the airman's positive attitude warranted compliance action in the form of counseling.
I assigned the airman 2 online courses to be completed within 10 days. The courses assigned were:
ALC-62: aeronautical decision making for VFR pilots
ALC-214: avoiding loss of control
As the FAA filed it
ON MARCH 5, 2017, ABOUT 1759 PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, A LANCAIR LC41-550FG, N2516K, IMPACTED THE TERRAIN DURING AN ATTEMPTED VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) GO-AROUND FROM RUNWAY 17R AT HENDERSON EXECUTIVE AIRPORT (KHND), HENDERSON, NEVADA. THE PRIVATE PILOT RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES, AND THE PASSENGER RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.
THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT DEPARTED APPLETON, WISCONSIN ON A CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT TO HENDERSON, NEVADA WITH INTERMEDIATE STOPS IN HUTCHINSON, KANSAS AND MORIARTY, NEW MEXICO FOR FUEL.
DURING THE FINAL APPROACH INTO KHND, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE ENCOUNTERED VARIABLE WIND GUSTS. DURING THE LANDING FLARE, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE EXPERIENCED A STRONG WIND GUST THAT ROLLED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE LEFT WITH THE LEFT WING NEARLY 90 DEGREES TO THE GROUND. THE PILOT STATED HE IMMEDIATELY INITIATED A GO-AROUND WHILE TRYING TO CORRECT THE BANK ANGLE OF THE AIRCRAFT. WHILE BANKED IN THE LEFT TURN, THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED INTO THE GROUND. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD PREVIOUSLY FLOWN IN SIMILIAR STRONG GUSTY CROSSWINDS, BUT HE HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED WIND CONDITIONS THAT RESULTED IN THE ACCIDENT. THE KHND METAR WEATHER DATA AT 17:56 (PST) WAS REPORTING WINDS 220 DEGREES AT 31 KNOTS WITH WIND GUSTS AT 38 KNOTS.
GROUND SCARS INDICATE THAT THE AIRCRAFT'S LEFT WING INITIALLY CONTACTED THE TERRAIN APPROXIMATELY 430 FEET LEFT OF THE RUNWAY 17R CENTERLINE. FRAGMENTS OF THE NAVIGATION LIGHT LENS WERE FOUND AT THAT LOCATION. ABOUT 25 FEET FURTHER ALONG THE IMPACT TRACK, WHICH RAN ON A HEADING OF ABOUT 135 DEGREES, EVIDENCE OF THE NOSEGEAR COLLAPSE AND THE PROPELLER MAKING SURFACE CONTACT WAS NOTED. ABOUT 20 FEET FURTHER, EVIDENCE OF THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR WHEEL/TIRE ASSEMBLY SEPARATED FOLLOWED BY THE COLLAPSE OF THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR LEG APPROXIMATELY 23 FEET FURTHER. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN A DRAINAGE CULVERT APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET FROM THE INITIAL CONTACT WITH TERRAIN.
THE ACCIDENT, BASED ON THE SITUATION INVOLVING RAPIDLY CHANGING WIND/WEATHER CONDITIONS AND THE AIRMAN'S POSITIVE ATTITUDE WARRANTED COMPLIANCE ACTION IN THE FORM OF COUNSELING.
I ASSIGNED THE AIRMAN 2 ONLINE COURSES TO BE COMPLETED WITHIN 10 DAYS. THE COURSES ASSIGNED WERE:
ALC-62: AERONAUTICAL DECISION MAKING FOR VFR PILOTS
ALC-214: AVOIDING LOSS OF CONTROL
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.