- Date
- November 10, 2012, 13:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Crowley, LA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N434KLLawson Ron Rans S-19
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 31, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards
- FAA report
- 20121110025389A
- Case key
- 85633
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 the collapse of the nose landing gear and the airplane nosing over.
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 was approaching to land at his private airstrip and that he misjudged the airplane height above the runway and incorrectly relaxed back pressure on the control stick, which allowed the nosewheel to contact the runway before the main landing gear. The nose landing gear subsequently collapsed and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the rudder and vertical stabilizer. The pilot noted that there were no preimpact failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he was approaching to land at his private airstrip at the time of the accident. He stated that he misjudged the airplane height above the runway and incorrectly relaxed back pressure on the control stick, which allowed the nose wheel to contact the runway before the main landing gear. The nose landing gear subsequently collapsed and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the rudder and vertical stabilizer. The pilot noted that there were no failures or malfunctions related to the airplane prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N434KL
- Reported as
- Lawson Ron Rans S-19
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 090800035
- Airframe hours
- 79
- Engine
- Rotax 912S, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · May 27, 2012 · 40 hours before
- Departed
- OPL · Opelousas, LA
- Destination
- PVT · Crowley, LA
- Airport
- PVT · Private, runway 27, 1,800 × 80 ft, grass/turf
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 71
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Sport Pilot
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Last flight review
- February 8, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 737 total · 79 in this make and model · 737 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 11 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- LFT, 20 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 26, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 457 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.