- Date
- August 9, 2011, 19:30 local (Aug 10, 2011, 00:30 UTC)
- Place
- Ankeny, IA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N227CTFlight Design Ctls
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 17, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA-Des Moines Flight Standards
- FAA report
- 20110810017379A
- Case key
- 81480
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 landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing.
Findings · 2
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 returned from a local flight and entered the airport traffic pattern without incident. The airplane was configured for landing and final approach appeared normal. However, the pilot misjudged the flare and inadvertently made a hard landing resulting in substantial damage to the firewall. The pilot stated there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he returned from a local flight and entered the airport traffic pattern without incident. The airplane was configured for landing and final approach appeared normal. However, the pilot misjudged the flare and inadvertently made a hard landing resulting in substantial damage to the firewall. He stated that there were no failures or malfunctions associated with the airplane prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N227CT
- Reported as
- Flight Design Ctls
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- F-08-06-13
- Airframe hours
- 406
- Engine
- Rotax 912ULS, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Clear Skies Flying Club
- Registered owner
- Clear Skies Flying Club
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 21, 2011
- Departed
- IKV · Ankeny, IA
- Destination
- IKV · Ankeny, IA
- Airport
- IKV · Ankeny Regional, runway 36, 5,500 × 100 ft, concrete
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
- 68
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Last flight review
- October 13, 2009
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 228 total · 16 in this make and model · 122 as pilot in command · 16 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.93 inHg
- Observed at
- IKV
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 7, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 924 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.