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20171020020952A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Staudacher Jon S-600F · Farmville, VA · October 20, 2017

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
October 20, 2017 · 10:20 local
Place
Farmville, VA
Phase of flight
Taxi
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Collision
Collision on the ground
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N27KJ
NTSB investigation
NTSBGAA18CA017
Reported as
Staudacher Jon S-600F
Reported engine
Lycoming IO-540 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
4,100 total282 in this make and model38 in the last 90 days
N27KJRegistration cancelled Oct 2, 2018 · Staudacher Jon S-600FS/N 32 · Built 2005Airframe modelStaudacher Jon S-600FEngine modelLycoming IO-540 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 accident involved two experimental aircraft, N25YD (pitts S1-C) and N27KJ (Staudacher S-600F). The pilot of N25YD had just completed his practice session in the aerobatic box and was returning for landing. The pilot of N27KJ had just entered the aerobatic box for his practice time slot but noticed he had left a water bottle in the cockpit and needed to return to the airport to drop it off.

N25YD announced on UNICOM that he was landing on runway 03. As N25YD was setting up to land on runway 03, N27KJ was departing the box to land on runway 21 but had announced ?runway 03? On UNICOM. N25YD completed all the appropriate radio calls and successfully landed on runway 03. Meanwhile, N27KJ flew a tight right pattern and a steep approach into runway 21, however, all of N27KJ?s radio transmissions were for runway 03. Both aircraft had made successful landings onto the opposite ends of the runway but since both aircraft had limited forward visibility and the pilots assumed they were both on runway 03, the collision on the runway came without warning. The aircraft collided causing substantial damage to both aircraft and serious injury to one of the pilots.

As the FAA filed it

THE ACCIDENT INVOLVED TWO EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT, N25YD (PITTS S1-C) AND N27KJ (STAUDACHER S-600F). THE PILOT OF N25YD HAD JUST COMPLETED HIS PRACTICE SESSION IN THE AEROBATIC BOX AND WAS RETURNING FOR LANDING. THE PILOT OF N27KJ HAD JUST ENTERED THE AEROBATIC BOX FOR HIS PRACTICE TIME SLOT BUT NOTICED HE HAD LEFT A WATER BOTTLE IN THE COCKPIT AND NEEDED TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT TO DROP IT OFF.

N25YD ANNOUNCED ON UNICOM THAT HE WAS LANDING ON RUNWAY 03. AS N25YD WAS SETTING UP TO LAND ON RUNWAY 03, N27KJ WAS DEPARTING THE BOX TO LAND ON RUNWAY 21 BUT HAD ANNOUNCED ?RUNWAY 03? ON UNICOM. N25YD COMPLETED ALL THE APPROPRIATE RADIO CALLS AND SUCCESSFULLY LANDED ON RUNWAY 03. MEANWHILE, N27KJ FLEW A TIGHT RIGHT PATTERN AND A STEEP APPROACH INTO RUNWAY 21, HOWEVER, ALL OF N27KJ?S RADIO TRANSMISSIONS WERE FOR RUNWAY 03. BOTH AIRCRAFT HAD MADE SUCCESSFUL LANDINGS ONTO THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE RUNWAY BUT SINCE BOTH AIRCRAFT HAD LIMITED FORWARD VISIBILITY AND THE PILOTS ASSUMED THEY WERE BOTH ON RUNWAY 03, THE COLLISION ON THE RUNWAY CAME WITHOUT WARNING. THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO BOTH AIRCRAFT AND SERIOUS INJURY TO ONE OF THE PILOTS.

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 GAA18CA017Accident · Serious injuriesData collectionFinal reportFarmville, VAThe pilot’s failure to see and avoid the other airplane landing in the opposite direction on the runway. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to use the correct runway call sign in his radio communications.Oct 20, 2017 · 2 aircraft · Substantial damage

Other aircraft in the event · 1

Each aircraft in a collision has its own report.

N25YDYoung David E Pitts S1-CAccident 20171020020932A · Substantial damage