What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On may 23, 2018 at 1737Z, 10:35 a.m. MST; N4207D, an experimental amateur built aircraft known as a Baby Ace D, with an a&c 65 series Continental motors engine, single engine high wing, fabric aircraft with a wood fixed pitch propeller installed, made an approach at (ksjn) st. Johns Industrial airpark, to runway (rwy) 3 which is 3400 ft. long by 60 ft. wide, asphalt surface in good condition.
Ksjn airport elevation is 5737 ft. with a 0.7 % gradient. 39 ft tree, 440 ft. from runway, 75 ft. left of centerline, 6:1 slope to clear, approach ratio 16:1 to displaced threshold based on 60 ft. tree, 1018 ft. from displaced threshold, on centerline. Markings are basic and in good condition.
As interviewed with the pilot, the aircraft came in to rwy 3 and the pilot noticed a crosswind from high up in the approach but barely any wind on the surface. The aircraft touched down 15 feet left of centerline just before B2 taxiway (twy) entrance. The pilot applied the brakes but in a fashion that caused the aircraft to move left and then right exacerbating a swerving motion creating a moment of loss of control. The aircraft traveled 260 ft before exiting rwy 3 to the right off into the dirt, downhill off the runway berm traveling a total of 314 ft. from the original touch down area. Just before the aircraft settled to a stop, the momentum of the aircraft and from applying the brakes hard caused the aircraft to roll over onto its nose striking the prop onto the ground. Then the aircraft continued over onto the upper high wing where the aircraft rested upside down. Before exiting the runway, the pilot managed to turned the engine off to minimize engine damage. In the middle of this roll over, the aircraft suffered substantial damage to the high wing structure in the middle near the bracing and on the right side due to the uneven terrain.
Weather (wx) that day indicates winds were blowing from 090 out of the east around 7 knots at 1654Z, accident took place around 1735Z, next wx plot was at 1754Z winds blowing from 250 out of the southwest around 7 knots. Both wx plots were clear of clouds with 10 statute miles of visibility, altimeter reading was A3007 changing to A3009.
During the inspection of the aircraft it was noted that wheels and bearings moved freely with no issues or binding of any type. The flight controls moved freely and no disconnections were found. Engine controls moved freely with no disconnections found.
Amendment expected after the return of the owner to his home location to gather logbook information. Unknown checked items will be later amended.
As the FAA filed it
ON MAY 23, 2018 AT 1737Z, 10:35 A.M. MST; N4207D, AN EXPERIMENTAL AMATEUR BUILT AIRCRAFT KNOWN AS A BABY ACE D, WITH AN A&C 65 SERIES CONTINENTAL MOTORS ENGINE, SINGLE ENGINE HIGH WING, FABRIC AIRCRAFT WITH A WOOD FIXED PITCH PROPELLER INSTALLED, MADE AN APPROACH AT (KSJN) ST. JOHNS INDUSTRIAL AIRPARK, TO RUNWAY (RWY) 3 WHICH IS 3400 FT. LONG BY 60 FT. WIDE, ASPHALT SURFACE IN GOOD CONDITION.
KSJN AIRPORT ELEVATION IS 5737 FT. WITH A 0.7 % GRADIENT. 39 FT TREE, 440 FT. FROM RUNWAY, 75 FT. LEFT OF CENTERLINE, 6:1 SLOPE TO CLEAR, APPROACH RATIO 16:1 TO DISPLACED THRESHOLD BASED ON 60 FT. TREE, 1018 FT. FROM DISPLACED THRESHOLD, ON CENTERLINE. MARKINGS ARE BASIC AND IN GOOD CONDITION.
AS INTERVIEWED WITH THE PILOT, THE AIRCRAFT CAME IN TO RWY 3 AND THE PILOT NOTICED A CROSSWIND FROM HIGH UP IN THE APPROACH BUT BARELY ANY WIND ON THE SURFACE. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN 15 FEET LEFT OF CENTERLINE JUST BEFORE B2 TAXIWAY (TWY) ENTRANCE. THE PILOT APPLIED THE BRAKES BUT IN A FASHION THAT CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO MOVE LEFT AND THEN RIGHT EXACERBATING A SWERVING MOTION CREATING A MOMENT OF LOSS OF CONTROL. THE AIRCRAFT TRAVELED 260 FT BEFORE EXITING RWY 3 TO THE RIGHT OFF INTO THE DIRT, DOWNHILL OFF THE RUNWAY BERM TRAVELING A TOTAL OF 314 FT. FROM THE ORIGINAL TOUCH DOWN AREA. JUST BEFORE THE AIRCRAFT SETTLED TO A STOP, THE MOMENTUM OF THE AIRCRAFT AND FROM APPLYING THE BRAKES HARD CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO ROLL OVER ONTO ITS NOSE STRIKING THE PROP ONTO THE GROUND. THEN THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED OVER ONTO THE UPPER HIGH WING WHERE THE AIRCRAFT RESTED UPSIDE DOWN. BEFORE EXITING THE RUNWAY, THE PILOT MANAGED TO TURNED THE ENGINE OFF TO MINIMIZE ENGINE DAMAGE. IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS ROLL OVER, THE AIRCRAFT SUFFERED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE HIGH WING STRUCTURE IN THE MIDDLE NEAR THE BRACING AND ON THE RIGHT SIDE DUE TO THE UNEVEN TERRAIN.
WEATHER (WX) THAT DAY INDICATES WINDS WERE BLOWING FROM 090 OUT OF THE EAST AROUND 7 KNOTS AT 1654Z, ACCIDENT TOOK PLACE AROUND 1735Z, NEXT WX PLOT WAS AT 1754Z WINDS BLOWING FROM 250 OUT OF THE SOUTHWEST AROUND 7 KNOTS. BOTH WX PLOTS WERE CLEAR OF CLOUDS WITH 10 STATUTE MILES OF VISIBILITY, ALTIMETER READING WAS A3007 CHANGING TO A3009.
DURING THE INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT IT WAS NOTED THAT WHEELS AND BEARINGS MOVED FREELY WITH NO ISSUES OR BINDING OF ANY TYPE. THE FLIGHT CONTROLS MOVED FREELY AND NO DISCONNECTIONS WERE FOUND. ENGINE CONTROLS MOVED FREELY WITH NO DISCONNECTIONS FOUND.
AMENDMENT EXPECTED AFTER THE RETURN OF THE OWNER TO HIS HOME LOCATION TO GATHER LOGBOOK INFORMATION. UNKNOWN CHECKED ITEMS WILL BE LATER AMENDED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.