- Date
- April 14, 2010, 13:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Hamilton, OH
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N774AAnkerstar Bradley D RAND-ROBINSON KR2
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 22, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA-CVG FSDO
- FAA report
- 20100414004949A
- Case key
- 75938
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 and collapsed landing gear.
Findings · 1
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 reported that he was performing high speed taxi testing of his tailwheel-equipped amateur-built airplane. During one of the high speed taxi runs the airplane inadvertently became airborne. The pilot stated that he attempted to land, but then decided to go airborne. He stated that he climbed to an altitude of about 3,000 feet and flew for approximately 40 minutes before returning to land. He stated that during the landing he was fast because he was attempting a wheel landing. He said that the airplane bounced and the airplane came back down hard. The airplane's retractable main landing gear collapsed and the airplane skidded to a stop on its belly. Examination of the airplane revealed that the eight landing gear attach bolts had pulled loose from the wing structure. The landing gear penetrated through the upper surface of the wing.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he was performing high speed taxi testing of his tail wheel equipped amateur-built airplane. During one of the high speed taxi runs the airplane inadvertently became airborne. The pilot stated that he attempted to land but then decided to go airborne. He stated that he climbed to an altitude of about 3,000 feet and flew for approximately 40 minutes before returning to land. He stated that during the landing he was fast because he was attempting a wheel landing. He said that the airplane bounced and the airplane came back down hard. The airplane's retractable main landing gear collapsed and the airplane skidded to a stop on its belly. Examination of the airplane revealed that the eight landing gear attach bolts had pulled loose from the wing structure. The landing gear penetrated through the upper surface of the wing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N774A
- Reported as
- Ankerstar Bradley D RAND-ROBINSON KR2
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 130
- Engine
- Volkswagen CONVERSION, 36 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- HAO · Hamilton, OH
- Destination
- HAO · Hamilton, OH
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- HAO · Butler County Regional Airport, runway 11, 5,500 × 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
- 74
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 280 total · 1 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 18, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 316 KB in all.
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 N774A · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.