- Date
- October 14, 2010, 16:55 local (22:55 UTC)
- Place
- Pagosa Springs, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4979MBeech A36
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 16, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Denver FSDO
- FAA report
- 20101014047629A
- Case key
- 77649
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, which resulted in a hard landing.
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
During the final approach to the runway, the pilot stated that he allowed the airplane to develop a high sink rate which he did not correct. The airplane touched down on the runway and bounced airborne twice. The nose gear fork then fractured and separated and the propeller struck the runway surface. The airplane received substantial damage to the forward fuselage.
Factual narrative
The private pilot was landing on a 8,100 foot long hard surface runway in dry conditions with clear skies and calm wind. During the final approach to the runway, the pilot stated that he allowed the airplane to develop a high sink rate which he did not correct. The airplane “hit the runway and porpoised twice”. The nose-gear fork then fractured and separated, and the propeller struck the runway surface. The airplane received substantial damage to the forward fuselage and nose-gear. The pilot and passenger were not injured.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4979M
- Reported as
- Beech A36
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- E-1281
- Airframe hours
- 5,620
- Engine
- Continental IO-550-BB, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Eric W Lager
- Registered owner
- Eric W Lager
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 1, 2009 · 45 hours before
- Departed
- GCK · Garden City, KS
- Destination
- PSO · Pagosa Springs, CO
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- PSO · Stevens Field Airport, runway 19, 8,100 × 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
- 86
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 19, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 8,500 total · 8,000 in this make and model · 25 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.43 inHg
- Observed at
- PSO
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 18, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 29 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.