ANC03LA059

NTSB accident investigation · Williamson Glastar · Anchorage, AK · June 13, 2003

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
June 12, 2003, 21:00 local (Jun 13, 2003, 05:00 UTC)
Place
Anchorage, AK
Injuries
1 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N62849Williamson Glastar
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report September 30, 2003
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
Alaska Regional Office
Parties
Anchorage, FSDO-03
FAA report
20030613012319A
Case key
57210

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during an aborted landing, which resulted in the airplane impacting trees along the side of the runway. A factor contributing to the accident was the pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing.

Sequence of events

NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.

In flight collision with objectLanding - aborted
Object - tree(s)
Directional control - not maintainedPilot in commandCause
Recovery from bounced landing - improperPilot in commandFactor

Analysis

The pilot of the homebuilt airplane said he made the final approach to landing at 60 statute miles per hour indicated airspeed. After touching down, the airplane hit a bump on the runway and became airborne. The airplane touched down again with a hard bounce, and again became airborne. The pilot initiated full throttle and attempted to abort the landing. The airplane was in a nose high attitude, and drifted into the trees on the right side of the runway. The right wing struck the trees and separated from the fuselage. The airplane came to rest in the trees about 8 feet above the ground.

Factual narrative

On June 12, 2003, about 2100 Alaska daylight time, a wheel-equipped homebuilt Williamson GLASTAR airplane, N62849, sustained substantial damage when it drifted into trees during an aborted landing at the Flying Crown Airport, Anchorage, Alaska. The airplane was being operated by the pilot as a visual flight rules (VFR) local personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91 when the accident occurred. The solo commercial pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.

During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on June 13, the pilot said he made the final approach to landing at 60 statute miles per hour indicated airspeed. He said after touching down the airplane hit a bump on the runway and became airborne. He said the airplane touched down again with a hard bounce, and again became airborne. The pilot said he applied full throttle and attempted to abort the landing. He said the airplane was in a nose high attitude, and drifted toward the trees on the right side of the runway. He said he attempted to correct for the drift with aileron and rudder, but the right wing struck trees and separated from the fuselage. The fuselage was severed in half behind the cabin. The airplane came to rest in the trees about 8 feet above the ground. The pilot said there were no preimpact mechanical anomalies with the airplane.

During a telephone conversation with the IIC on June 13, a witness said he saw the airplane make a fairly good three point landing, but the airplane was fast. The witness said the airplane hit a bump in the runway and became airborne. He said the airplane bounced two more times before the pilot applied full throttle and attempted to abort the landing. The witness said the airplane was in a nose high, almost stall attitude, when it flew into the trees.

Aircraft

Registration
N62849
Reported as
Williamson Glastar
Category
Airplane, amateur-built
Serial number
5063
Airframe hours
185
Engine
Lycoming O-320-E2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Registered owner
Herbert B. Williamson
Airworthiness certificate
Special, Experimental (Special)
Last inspection
Condition · April 1, 2003 · 9 hours before
Departed
AK12 · Anchorage, AK
Destination
Anchorage, AK
Airport
AK12 · Flying Crown, runway 31, 1,078 × 50 ft, grass/turf

Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Pilot
Age
60
Injuries
None
Certificate
Commercial
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
Last flight review
June 29, 2001
Seat
Left
Flight hours
755 total · 200 in this make and model · 604 as pilot in command

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
Calm
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
64 °F

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.

Other investigations on N62849 · 1

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