- Date
- March 9, 2009, 11:47 local (17:47 UTC)
- Place
- Tulsa, OK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N47NRRoach Neil Glasair SU
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 12, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20090309002329A
- Case key
- 73467
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 improper flare, and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The airline transport pilot had not flown since 2001 and had recently purchased the airplane. He hired the certified flight instructor to provide instruction in his new airplane and to also prepare him for a flight review. The pilot said that he flew well and the flight was uneventful until his first landing attempt. He said he flared too soon, which caused the airspeed to dissipate. The instructor told him to add power, but the rate of descent was too great and the airplane landed hard on the left side of the runway and slid into an area of dry grass. A post-impact fire consumed the airplane. The pilot reported no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane or engine prior to the accident.
Factual narrative
The airline transport pilot had not flown since 2001 and had recently purchased the airplane. He hired the certified flight instructor to provide instruction in his new airplane and to also prepare him for a flight review. The pilot said that he flew well and the flight was uneventful until his first landing attempt. He said he flared too soon, which caused the airspeed to dissipate. The instructor told him to add power, but the rate of descent was too great and the airplane landed hard on the left side of the runway and slid into an area of dry grass. A post-impact fire consumed the airplane. The pilot reported no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane or engine prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N47NR
- Reported as
- Roach Neil Glasair SU
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 2282
- Airframe hours
- 1,694
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360 SER, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- White Buffalo Environmental, Inc
- Registered owner
- White Buffalo Environmental, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · September 5, 2008
- Departed
- RVS · Tulsa, OK
- Destination
- RVS · Tulsa, OK
- Airport
- RVS · Richard Lloyd Jones Jr Airport, runway 19R, 5,102 × 100 ft, asphalt
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 68
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 19, 2008
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 14,123 total · 15 in this make and model
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 50
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 23, 2001
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,948 total · 10 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 12,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.89 inHg
- Observed at
- RVS
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.