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20181215022269A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Clifford E Massey AR-1 · Anahuac, TX · December 15, 2018

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
December 15, 2018 · 11:30 local
Place
Anahuac, TX
Airport
Chambers County
Phase of flight
Other, Specify
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N923DJ
NTSB investigation
NTSBGAA19CA101
Reported as
Clifford E Massey AR-1
Reported engine
ROTAX 912ULS
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
3,400 total180 in this make and model40 in the last 90 days
N923DJRegistered now · Clifford E Massey AR-1S/N 0002 · Built 2016Airframe modelClifford E Massey AR-1Engine modelRotax 912ULS series4 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.

While practicing autorotations on the grass runway 35 at Chambers County (T00), during the third landing, the pilot experienced a sudden loss of lift during the flare due to a possible strong wind shear, resulting in a vertical drop of about four feet. Pilot immediately attempted recovery with full power, but was unable to prevent a hard landing during the go-round which caused the propeller to strike the bottom keel. The aircraft bounced to the left initially, bending the left main landing gear, the raters impacted the ground, and the detachable mast sheared at the junction and twisted off, still being held in place with the control rods. The aircraft came to rest on the mast junction on its right side.

Major damage caused was to the three propeller blades which sheared at the hub, mast sheared/bent at the detachable junction, and both rotor blades gouged and bent.

Minor damage to horizontal stabilizer on left sheared, pre-rotator vertical shaft detached/bent and upper control rods bent/broken.

Pilot was uninjured.

As the FAA filed it

WHILE PRACTICING AUTOROTATIONS ON THE GRASS RUNWAY 35 AT CHAMBERS COUNTY (T00), DURING THE THIRD LANDING, THE PILOT EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN LOSS OF LIFT DURING THE FLARE DUE TO A POSSIBLE STRONG WIND SHEAR, RESULTING IN A VERTICAL DROP OF ABOUT FOUR FEET. PILOT IMMEDIATELY ATTEMPTED RECOVERY WITH FULL POWER, BUT WAS UNABLE TO PREVENT A HARD LANDING DURING THE GO-ROUND WHICH CAUSED THE PROPELLER TO STRIKE THE BOTTOM KEEL. THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED TO THE LEFT INITIALLY, BENDING THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR, THE RATERS IMPACTED THE GROUND, AND THE DETACHABLE MAST SHEARED AT THE JUNCTION AND TWISTED OFF, STILL BEING HELD IN PLACE WITH THE CONTROL RODS. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON THE MAST JUNCTION ON ITS RIGHT SIDE.

MAJOR DAMAGE CAUSED WAS TO THE THREE PROPELLER BLADES WHICH SHEARED AT THE HUB, MAST SHEARED/BENT AT THE DETACHABLE JUNCTION, AND BOTH ROTOR BLADES GOUGED AND BENT.

MINOR DAMAGE TO HORIZONTAL STABILIZER ON LEFT SHEARED, PRE-ROTATOR VERTICAL SHAFT DETACHED/BENT AND UPPER CONTROL RODS BENT/BROKEN.

PILOT WAS UNINJURED.

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 GAA19CA101Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportAnahuac, TXThe pilot's improper landing flare in gusting crosswind conditions.Dec 15, 2018 · Substantial damage