- Date
- October 29, 2010, 13:23 local (18:23 UTC)
- Place
- Pearland, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N128JHHughes J/Hughes J Rand-Robinson
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 16, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Houston FSDO
- FAA report
- 20101029052909A
- Case key
- 77701
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. Contributing to the accident was an engine oil leak which partially obscured the pilot’s forward vision.
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/builder was making the first flight of the experimental single engine airplane after having completed several high-speed taxi tests and ground runs of the engine. Shortly after becoming airborne and during the initial climb, the pilot began to notice oil on the windshield. He returned to the airport to land by which time the oil film was significantly reducing his forward visibility and he had difficulty judging his height above the ground. During the landing the airplane touched down hard and bounced. On the second touchdown both main landing gear legs collapsed and penetrated through the top surfaces of the wings. The pilot stated that he was unable to determine the source of the engine oil leak.
Factual narrative
The pilot, who was the builder of the experimental single engine airplane, was making the first flight after having completed several high-speed taxi tests and ground runs of the engine. The pilot stated that shortly after becoming airborne and during the initial climb, he began to notice oil on the windshield. When he returned to the airport for landing the oil was significantly reducing his forward visibility and he had difficulty judging his height above the ground. During the landing the airplane “touched down hard and bounced”. On the second touchdown both main landing gear legs collapsed and penetrated through the top surfaces of the wings. The solo pilot was not injured. Two weeks after the accident the pilot said he still had not been able to determine the source of the engine oil leak.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N128JH
- Reported as
- Hughes J/Hughes J Rand-Robinson (KR2)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 2810
- Airframe hours
- 0
- Engine
- Revmaster 2100, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · September 27, 2010 · 0 hours before
- Departed
- LVJ · Pearland, TX
- Destination
- LVJ · Pearland, TX
- Airport
- LVJ · Pearland Regional Airport, runway 32, 4,313 × 75 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
- 57
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 20, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 95 total · 1 in this make and model · 42 as pilot in command · 2 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Observed at
- LVJ
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 18, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.2 MB 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.