- Date
- January 11, 2006, 15:15 local (20:15 UTC)
- Place
- Walhalla, SC
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N86LLLabarre Hatz CB1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 25, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Columbia FSDO-13
- FAA report
- 20060111000679A
- Case key
- 63095
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's selection of unsuitable terrain to land. Contributing factors were the wet, soft, grassy runway.
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.
Analysis
The pilot stated that it had been raining for a couple of days prior to the accident flight. He departed Clemson, South Carolina, on a visual flight rules flight and flew around the local area before landing at Seneca, South Carolina. The pilot stated that he took a short break and departed Seneca en route to Walhalla, South Carolina. The pilot stated that he thought about not landing at Walhalla Airport since it has a grass strip and there had been a lot of rain. He entered left traffic and decided to land. Upon touchdown the main landing gear collided with the wet, soft, soggy, grass runway, and the airplane nosed over. The pilot stated, "I made an improper decision by not making a three point landing. I knew the grass was wet and the airplane would not have nosed over on touchdown in a three point attitude." The pilot further stated that he did not experience any mechanical problems with the airplane before the accident.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated it had been raining for a couple of days prior to the accident flight. He departed Clemson, South Carolina, on a visual flight rules flight and flew around the local area before landing at Seneca, South Carolina. The pilot stated he took a short break and departed Seneca enroute to Walhalla, South Carolina. The pilot stated he thought about not landing at Walhalla Airport since it has a grass strip and there had been allot of rain. He entered left traffic and decided to make a wheel landing. On touchdown the main landing gear collided with the wet, soft, soggy, grass runway, and the airplane nosed over inverted. The pilot stated, "I made an improper decision by not making at three point landing. I knew the grass was wet and the airplane would not have nosed over on touchdown in a three point attitude." The pilot further stated he did not experience any mechanical problems with the airplane before the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N86LL
- Reported as
- Labarre Hatz CB1
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 62
- Airframe hours
- 334
- Engine
- Continental O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Charles W. Mc Connell
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 1, 2005 · 16 hours before
- Departed
- Tokenna, SC
- Destination
- Walhalla, SC
- Airport
- NONE · Tokenna Air Park, runway 20, 2,100 × 100 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
- 76
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 1, 2005
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 32,000 total · 50 in this make and model · 25,700 as pilot in command · 75 in the last 90 days · 35 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.84 inHg
- Observed at
- CEU, 8 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.