- Date
- December 30, 2012, 13:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Hobart, IN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N641TDRobidoux Lionel Wittman W 10
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 3, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA South Bend FSDO
- FAA report
- 20121230027699A
- Case key
- 85928
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 adequate airspeed during landing, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and subsequent 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 the airplane’s airspeed was about 20 mph slower than normal when he turned on final approach. After clearing obstructions at the end of the runway, the pilot started to flare for a landing when the airplane suddenly dropped and impacted the runway surface. The hard landing partially collapsed the left main landing gear and resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane and noted that the accident could have been prevented if he had maintained a safe airspeed.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that the airplane’s airspeed was about 20 mph slower than normal when he turned on final approach. After clearing obstructions at the end of the runway the pilot started to flare for a landing when the airplane suddenly dropped and impacted the runway surface. The hard landing partially collapsed the left main landing gear and resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures associated with the airplane prior to the accident and noted that the accident could have been prevented if he had maintained a safe airspeed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N641TD
- Reported as
- Robidoux Lionel Wittman W 10
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 456
- Airframe hours
- 790
- Engine
- Lycoming O-290 SERIES, 140 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · May 26, 2012 · 26 hours before
- Departed
- 3HO · Hobart, IN
- Destination
- 3HO · Hobart, IN
- Airport
- 3HO · Hobart Sky Ranch Airport, runway 18, 3,125 × 40 ft, grass/turf
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
- 54
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 24, 2012
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 227 total · 39 in this make and model · 157 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft
- Temperature
- 34 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.28 inHg
- Observed at
- KGYY, 8 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 7, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 155 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.