CEN09CA326

NTSB accident investigation · Aeropro CZ Eurofox · Bloomfield, IN · May 30, 2009

Accident · Minor injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
May 30, 2009, 14:30 local (18:30 UTC)
Place
Bloomfield, IN
Injuries
2 minor
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N817RAeropro CZ Eurofox
Defining event
Landing: Nose over/nose down
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report September 10, 2009
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
Central Region
Parties
Federal Aviation Administration
Case key
73935

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 selection of an unsuitable landing area.

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.

Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surfaceEnvironmental issues › Physical environment · Decision related to conditionAeropro CZ EUROFOX LSA: 1 caseAll aircraft: 253 casesProbable cause

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

A sport pilot and a student sport pilot departed on a cross-country personal flight to the destination airport. The sport pilot was the flying pilot and the student pilot assumed navigational duties during the flight. They had been using a global positioning system receiver for the flight. When they arrived at the destination airport, the sport pilot twice overflew the runway. There had been a discussion between the pilots regarding the location of the runway. The sport pilot then established an approach to a recently plowed agricultural field located about 250 yards west of the runway and landed on that field. During the landing the nose gear dug into the soft soil and the airplane nosed over. Both wings were bent downward approximately 10 degrees, the pilot compartment frame was bent and the windscreen was broken.

Factual narrative

A sport pilot and a student sport pilot, who was the sport pilot's husband, departed on a cross country personal flight to the destination airport. The sport pilot was the flying pilot and the student pilot assumed navigational duties during the flight. They had been using a global positioning system (GPS) receiver AvMap EKP IV for the flight. The GPS navigation database had been expired but displayed the correct airport information. When they arrived at the destination airport, the sport pilot twice overflew runway 18 (2,160 feet by 150 feet, turf). There had been a discussion between the pilots regarding the location of the runway. The sport pilot then established an approach to a recently plowed agricultural field located about 250 yards west of the runway and landed on that field. During the landing the nose gear dug in to the soft soil and the airplane nosed over. The airplane came to a stop on the field within about 40 feet. Both of the airplane's wings were twisted downward approximately 10 degrees, the pilot compartment frame was bent and the windscreen was broken. Both pilots received minor injuries. The sport pilot was issued a sport pilot certificate on December 26, 2008, and accumulated a total flight time, based on logbook information, of 252.1 hours, of which 171.2 hours was instruction received. The student pilot accumulated a reported total flight time of 182.3 hours. Neither pilot had any previous failures towards an airman certificate/rating or any previous incidents/accidents.

Aircraft

Registration
N817R
Reported as
Aeropro CZ Eurofox
Category
Airplane
Serial number
25008
Airframe hours
45.9
Engine
Rotax 912ULS, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Operator
Pilot
Registered owner
Robell Air LLC
Airworthiness certificate
Special, Special light-sport (Special)
Last inspection
Annual · April 24, 2009
Departed
BWG · Bowling Green, KY
Destination
1I3 · Bloomfield, IN
Flight plan
Unknown
Airport
1I3 · Shawnee Field Airport, runway 18, 2,160 × 150 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 · 2

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Pilot
Age
68
Injuries
Minor
Certificate
Sport Pilot
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Medical
Sport pilot
Last flight review
December 26, 2008
Seat
Left
Flight hours
270 total · 251 in this make and model · 56 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Role
Student pilot
Age
69
Injuries
Minor
Certificates
Student, Sport Pilot
Medical
Sport pilot
Seat
Right
Flight hours
182 total · 162 in this make and model · 39 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
225° at 6 knots
Visibility
6 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
5,000 ft broken
Temperature
82 °F

Docket · 1

The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 30, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 588 KB in all.