What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On Saturday, August 17, the pilot completed an aerobatic routine during an airshow.
The wind was roughly 10 knots from a heading of 240 degrees with gusts to approximately 12 knots.
The pilot began a shallow approach to land on runway 24.
A long, low, shallow approach is a normal procedure for this pilot in this particular aircraft due to it being an antique jet fighter with unique braking and go-around characteristics.
The pilot later reported that he perceived a decrease in the approximately 10-knot headwind, and he felt that the headwind decrease caused the aircraft to sink several feet just before touchdown.
Just before touchdown, the pilot heard a metallic “ping” sound.
The pilot thought that he may have struck either a bird or the light poles that are part of the approach lighting system.
The pilot landed safely.
The pilot immediately inspected his aircraft and found dents in the wing flaps.
The pilot then promptly found the FAA inspector who was serving as the air show iic and reported what had happened.
The final act of the air show was in progress at that time.
The FAA inspector who was serving as the air show iic went with the pilot to inspect the airplane.
The FAA inspector who was serving as the air show iic observed significant dents on the bottom surfaces of the inboard wing flaps of both wings.
The final act of the air show ended.
The FAA inspector who was serving as the air show iic, the pilot, the air boss, the airport manager, another FAA operations inspector, and one of the air boss’s employees drove to the beginning of the pavement and observed damage to the approach lighting system.
The portion of the approach lighting system that was damaged normally contains 5 upright metal poles approximately 4 feet high and approximately 2 feet apart with one lightbulb at the top of each pole facing away from the runway.
The portion of the approach lighting system that was damaged is approximately 100 feet from the beginning of the pavement.
3 Of the 5 metal poles were laying down and were leaning toward the runway.
Each glass lightbulb at the top of the 3 poles that were laying down had been shattered.
Only the 2 center poles were upright.
The airport manager confirmed that the approach lighting system had been inspected that morning and had been undamaged at that time.
When everyone had returned to the ramp, the FAA inspector who was serving as the air show iic and another FAA operations inspector called the roc, briefed their office management, and provided the pilot with a pilot’s bill of rights written notification of investigation.
The FAA inspector who was serving as the air show iic and another FAA airworthiness inspector inspected the airplane again.
The FAA inspectors noted that the circular impression on the right inboard wing flap was consistent with the size and shape of the type of lightbulb that had been on the tops of the upright metal poles.
The FAA inspector who was serving as the air show iic observed still images taken from a video of the aircraft landing.
In the images, the 5 metal poles are visible before the aircraft reaches them.
The images then show the airplane lose roughly 5 feet in altitude.
After the aircraft passes the metal poles, the images then show only the 2 center poles remaining upright.
The next day, the FAA inspector who was serving as the air show iic conducted counseling with the pilot.
The pilot explained that a long, low, shallow approach is necessary for his aircraft to be in a safe position to execute a go-around if necessary.
The pilot also reported that he thought the approximately 10-knot headwind had decreased, causing him to sink just before he heard the metallic “ping” sound.
At the end of the counseling session, the pilot agreed that he could increase his approach by several feet during gusty conditions to guard against altitude loss due to an unexpected decrease in headwind.
The pilot exhibited a cooperative and constructive attitude.
As the FAA filed it
ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 17, THE PILOT COMPLETED AN AEROBATIC ROUTINE DURING AN AIRSHOW.
THE WIND WAS ROUGHLY 10 KNOTS FROM A HEADING OF 240 DEGREES WITH GUSTS TO APPROXIMATELY 12 KNOTS.
THE PILOT BEGAN A SHALLOW APPROACH TO LAND ON RUNWAY 24.
A LONG, LOW, SHALLOW APPROACH IS A NORMAL PROCEDURE FOR THIS PILOT IN THIS PARTICULAR AIRCRAFT DUE TO IT BEING AN ANTIQUE JET FIGHTER WITH UNIQUE BRAKING AND GO-AROUND CHARACTERISTICS.
THE PILOT LATER REPORTED THAT HE PERCEIVED A DECREASE IN THE APPROXIMATELY 10-KNOT HEADWIND, AND HE FELT THAT THE HEADWIND DECREASE CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO SINK SEVERAL FEET JUST BEFORE TOUCHDOWN.
JUST BEFORE TOUCHDOWN, THE PILOT HEARD A METALLIC “PING” SOUND.
THE PILOT THOUGHT THAT HE MAY HAVE STRUCK EITHER A BIRD OR THE LIGHT POLES THAT ARE PART OF THE APPROACH LIGHTING SYSTEM.
THE PILOT LANDED SAFELY.
THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY INSPECTED HIS AIRCRAFT AND FOUND DENTS IN THE WING FLAPS.
THE PILOT THEN PROMPTLY FOUND THE FAA INSPECTOR WHO WAS SERVING AS THE AIR SHOW IIC AND REPORTED WHAT HAD HAPPENED.
THE FINAL ACT OF THE AIR SHOW WAS IN PROGRESS AT THAT TIME.
THE FAA INSPECTOR WHO WAS SERVING AS THE AIR SHOW IIC WENT WITH THE PILOT TO INSPECT THE AIRPLANE.
THE FAA INSPECTOR WHO WAS SERVING AS THE AIR SHOW IIC OBSERVED SIGNIFICANT DENTS ON THE BOTTOM SURFACES OF THE INBOARD WING FLAPS OF BOTH WINGS.
THE FINAL ACT OF THE AIR SHOW ENDED.
THE FAA INSPECTOR WHO WAS SERVING AS THE AIR SHOW IIC, THE PILOT, THE AIR BOSS, THE AIRPORT MANAGER, ANOTHER FAA OPERATIONS INSPECTOR, AND ONE OF THE AIR BOSS’S EMPLOYEES DROVE TO THE BEGINNING OF THE PAVEMENT AND OBSERVED DAMAGE TO THE APPROACH LIGHTING SYSTEM.
THE PORTION OF THE APPROACH LIGHTING SYSTEM THAT WAS DAMAGED NORMALLY CONTAINS 5 UPRIGHT METAL POLES APPROXIMATELY 4 FEET HIGH AND APPROXIMATELY 2 FEET APART WITH ONE LIGHTBULB AT THE TOP OF EACH POLE FACING AWAY FROM THE RUNWAY.
THE PORTION OF THE APPROACH LIGHTING SYSTEM THAT WAS DAMAGED IS APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE PAVEMENT.
3 OF THE 5 METAL POLES WERE LAYING DOWN AND WERE LEANING TOWARD THE RUNWAY.
EACH GLASS LIGHTBULB AT THE TOP OF THE 3 POLES THAT WERE LAYING DOWN HAD BEEN SHATTERED.
ONLY THE 2 CENTER POLES WERE UPRIGHT.
THE AIRPORT MANAGER CONFIRMED THAT THE APPROACH LIGHTING SYSTEM HAD BEEN INSPECTED THAT MORNING AND HAD BEEN UNDAMAGED AT THAT TIME.
WHEN EVERYONE HAD RETURNED TO THE RAMP, THE FAA INSPECTOR WHO WAS SERVING AS THE AIR SHOW IIC AND ANOTHER FAA OPERATIONS INSPECTOR CALLED THE ROC, BRIEFED THEIR OFFICE MANAGEMENT, AND PROVIDED THE PILOT WITH A PILOT’S BILL OF RIGHTS WRITTEN NOTIFICATION OF INVESTIGATION.
THE FAA INSPECTOR WHO WAS SERVING AS THE AIR SHOW IIC AND ANOTHER FAA AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTOR INSPECTED THE AIRPLANE AGAIN.
THE FAA INSPECTORS NOTED THAT THE CIRCULAR IMPRESSION ON THE RIGHT INBOARD WING FLAP WAS CONSISTENT WITH THE SIZE AND SHAPE OF THE TYPE OF LIGHTBULB THAT HAD BEEN ON THE TOPS OF THE UPRIGHT METAL POLES.
THE FAA INSPECTOR WHO WAS SERVING AS THE AIR SHOW IIC OBSERVED STILL IMAGES TAKEN FROM A VIDEO OF THE AIRCRAFT LANDING.
IN THE IMAGES, THE 5 METAL POLES ARE VISIBLE BEFORE THE AIRCRAFT REACHES THEM.
THE IMAGES THEN SHOW THE AIRPLANE LOSE ROUGHLY 5 FEET IN ALTITUDE.
AFTER THE AIRCRAFT PASSES THE METAL POLES, THE IMAGES THEN SHOW ONLY THE 2 CENTER POLES REMAINING UPRIGHT.
THE NEXT DAY, THE FAA INSPECTOR WHO WAS SERVING AS THE AIR SHOW IIC CONDUCTED COUNSELING WITH THE PILOT.
THE PILOT EXPLAINED THAT A LONG, LOW, SHALLOW APPROACH IS NECESSARY FOR HIS AIRCRAFT TO BE IN A SAFE POSITION TO EXECUTE A GO-AROUND IF NECESSARY.
THE PILOT ALSO REPORTED THAT HE THOUGHT THE APPROXIMATELY 10-KNOT HEADWIND HAD DECREASED, CAUSING HIM TO SINK JUST BEFORE HE HEARD THE METALLIC “PING” SOUND.
AT THE END OF THE COUNSELING SESSION, THE PILOT AGREED THAT HE COULD INCREASE HIS APPROACH BY SEVERAL FEET DURING GUSTY CONDITIONS TO GUARD AGAINST ALTITUDE LOSS DUE TO AN UNEXPECTED DECREASE IN HEADWIND.
THE PILOT EXHIBITED A COOPERATIVE AND CONSTRUCTIVE ATTITUDE.
Other reports on N115DH · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.