- Date
- July 25, 2012, 07:00 local (12:00 UTC)
- Place
- Weatherford, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4454UNelson Miles Sky Star Kitfox
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 9, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20120725021759A
- Case key
- 84467
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 failure to maintain directional control during the landing flare. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s delay in aborting the 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
The pilot was practicing takeoffs and landings when the accident occurred. During the landing flare, the airplane drifted to the left of the runway centerline. The pilot overcorrected to the right before applying full power in an attempt to go around. The left main wheel contacted grass on the left side of the runway, and the airplane ground looped to the right. The firewall and the lower fuselage longerons sustained substantial damage.
Factual narrative
The pilot was practicing takeoffs and landings when the accident occurred. During the landing flare, the airplane drifted to the left of the runway centerline. The pilot over corrected to the right before applying full power in an an attempt to go-around. The left main wheel contacted grass on the left side of the runway and the airplane ground looped to the right. The pilot reported the lower fuselage longerons were bent between the landing gear mount and wing strut attach point, the firewall was buckled, and the left main landing gear was bent.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4454U
- Reported as
- Nelson Miles Sky Star Kitfox (S 5)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- S 9410-0057
- Airframe hours
- 212
- Engine
- Jabiru 3300, 120 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Paul D. Eisheid
- Registered owner
- Paul D. Eisheid
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · June 1, 2012 · 12 hours before
- Departed
- KWEA · Weatherford, TX
- Destination
- KWEA · Weatherford, TX
- Airport
- KWEA · Parker County, runway 17, 3,289 × 40 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
- 48
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 9, 2012
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 196 total · 10 in this make and model · 196 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.94 inHg
- Observed at
- KFTW, 19 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 8, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.3 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.