- Date
- June 29, 2009, 18:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Hayward, WI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N861SDWeatherhead Peter L Stol CH 701
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- Case key
- 74167
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 resulting in a hard landing during gusty wind conditions. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of experience with the accident airplane.
Findings · 4
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 pilot had purchased the airplane on the day of the accident. Prior to the flight, the pilot obtained a wind check from an employee at a local fixed base operator. The employee informed the pilot the wind was from 320 degrees at 10 to 12 knots and gusting to 16 knots. After departure, the pilot "found the winds to be much worse and had a hard time controlling the 1,000 [pound] gross weight plane." After several attempts to land on the different runways at the airport, the pilot elected to land the airplane in a field short of runway 02 (5,003 feet long by 100 feet wide). During the approach, the pilot flared the airplane 15 to 20 feet above the ground and the airplane "just sank." The airplane landed hard and the left main landing gear separated. In addition, the nose landing gear collapsed, and the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. The pilot had no prior experience in the accident airplane make and model prior to this flight.
Factual narrative
The pilot had purchased the airplane from the previous owner on the day of the accident. Prior to the flight, the pilot obtained a wind check from an employee at a local fixed base operator. The employee informed the pilot the wind was from 320 degrees at 10 to 12 knots and gusting to 16 knots. After departure, the pilot "found the winds to be much worse and had a hard time controlling the 1,000 [pound] gross weight plane." After several attempts to land on the different runways at the airport, the pilot elected to land the airplane in a field short of runway 02 (5,003 feet long by 100 feet wide). During the approach, the pilot flared the airplane 15 to 20 feet above the ground and the airplane "just sank." The airplane landed hard and the left main landing gear separated. In addition, the nose landing gear collapsed, and the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. The pilot had no prior experience in the accident airplane make and model prior to this flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N861SD
- Reported as
- Weatherhead Peter L Stol CH 701
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 3539
- Airframe hours
- 190
- Engine
- Rotax 912, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · June 18, 2009
- Departed
- HYR · Hayward, WI
- Destination
- HYR · Hayward, WI
- Airport
- HYR · Sawyer County Airport, runway 02, 5,003 × 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 60
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Private, Student
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 18, 2008
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,260 total · 1 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 12 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 24, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 523 KB in all.