- Date
- November 24, 2012, 12:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Grain Valley, MO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N15PUChristen Industries Pitts S-2S
- 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
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20121124028069A
- Case key
- 85685
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 led to a bounced landing and subsequent loss of control.
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
As the pilot was landing the tailwheel-equipped airplane, he applied aft control stick to "pin the tail" on the runway. The airplane bounced off the runway surface, veered to the right, and the pilot attempted to abort the landing. During the aborted landing attempt, the left wing struck the terrain. Subsequently, the main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane skidded back onto the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left lower wing and fuselage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot was landing the tailwheel-equipped airplane, and he applied aft control stick to "pin the tail" on the runway. The airplane bounced off the runway surface, veered to the right, and the pilot attempted to abort the landing. During the aborted landing, the left wing struck the terrain. Subsequently, the main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane skidded back onto the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left lower wing and fuselage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N15PU
- Reported as
- Christen Industries Pitts S-2S
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 3015
- Airframe hours
- 639
- Engine
- Lycoming AEIO-540, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- On File
- Registered owner
- On File
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Aerobatic
- Last inspection
- Condition · April 19, 2012
- Departed
- 3GV · Grain Valley, MO
- Destination
- 3GV · Grain Valley, MO
- Airport
- 3GV · East Kansas City Airport, runway 09, 4,507 × 44 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
- 53
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 3, 2012
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 1,483 total · 13 in this make and model · 1,341 as pilot in command · 16 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 6, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.2 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.