20200227002109A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Freeman Heritage Collection SE5A · Kingsbury, TX · February 27, 2020

Date: February 27, 2020 · 11:30 local
Place: Kingsbury, TX
Airport: Kingsbury Aerodrome
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N685SE
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN20CA105
Reported as: Freeman Heritage Collection SE5A
Reported engine: WRIGHT HISPANO E
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours: 10,000 total2 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days

N685SERegistered now · Freeman Heritage Collection SE5AS/N 6851 · Built 2017 Airframe modelFreeman Heritage Collection SE5A Engine modelWright HISPANO EReciprocating

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.

Pilot was test flying aircraft at old Kingsbury Aerodrome. Conditions were clear VFR with a light quartering

Crosswind of about 6-7 knots.

After aircraft handling and system operations were deemed satisfactory, pilot elected to land the aircraft. Aircraft touched down and bounced. Upon making contact with the runway, pilot stated at this point the crosswind caused the aircraft to crab hard to the right at which time the landing gear cross wire failed. The right wing struck the ground causing the aircraft to ground loop to the right. Substantial damage occured to both left and right wings, elevator and rudder were also damaged. Propeller was damaged. Landing gear was damaged. Investigation revealed pilot's lack of experience (2 logged hours) flying this type of aircraft was the key factor in this accident. There was no post crash fire or injury to the pilot.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT WAS TEST FLYING AIRCRAFT AT OLD KINGSBURY AERODROME. CONDITIONS WERE CLEAR VFR WITH A LIGHT QUARTERING

CROSSWIND OF ABOUT 6-7 KNOTS.

AFTER AIRCRAFT HANDLING AND SYSTEM OPERATIONS WERE DEEMED SATISFACTORY, PILOT ELECTED TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT. AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN AND BOUNCED. UPON MAKING CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY, PILOT STATED AT THIS POINT THE CROSSWIND CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO CRAB HARD TO THE RIGHT AT WHICH TIME THE LANDING GEAR CROSS WIRE FAILED. THE RIGHT WING STRUCK THE GROUND CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO GROUND LOOP TO THE RIGHT. SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE OCCURED TO BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT WINGS, ELEVATOR AND RUDDER WERE ALSO DAMAGED. PROPELLER WAS DAMAGED. LANDING GEAR WAS DAMAGED. INVESTIGATION REVEALED PILOT'S LACK OF EXPERIENCE (2 LOGGED HOURS) FLYING THIS TYPE OF AIRCRAFT WAS THE KEY FACTOR IN THIS ACCIDENT. THERE WAS NO POST CRASH FIRE OR INJURY TO THE PILOT.

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 CEN20CA105Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportKingsbury, TXThe pilot's failure to maintain a proper landing flare, which resulted in a hard, bounced landing, and his subsequent loss of directional control, which resulted in a ground loop.Feb 27, 2020 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N685SE · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 20171003016109ATakeoff: Climb Out · Virginia Beach, VAAircraft substantially damaged when gear collapsed during emergency landing in cut corn field, causing a sudden stop of forward motion then flipping over on it's back.Oct 3, 2017 · Substantial damage