- Date
- May 1, 2013, 11:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Cortland, OH
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N81610Alexander Duane A RV-8
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Nose over/nose down
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 23, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20130501007299A
- Case key
- 86790
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 control of the airplane after encountering an unexpected soft spot in the runway during 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
Before the flight, the pilot called the destination airport to check on the runway conditions. No concerns were reported. During the landing roll on the grass runway, the airplane encountered a soft spot in the runway and nosed over, coming to rest inverted. The empennage and fuselage sustained substantial damage. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane before the accident.
Factual narrative
Prior to the flight, the pilot called to the destination airport to check on the runway conditions. No concerns were reported. During the landing roll to the grass runway, the airplane encountered a soft spot in the runway and nosed over, coming to rest inverted. The empennage and fuselage sustained substantial damage. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N81610
- Reported as
- Alexander Duane A RV-8
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 80175
- Airframe hours
- 641
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · July 1, 2012
- Departed
- KJYO · Leesburg, VA
- Destination
- 8OH5 · Cortland, OH
- Airport
- 8OH5 · Urban Airport, runway 18, 2,640 × 130 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
- 55
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 2, 2013
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 650 total · 100 in this make and model · 15 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.29 inHg
- Observed at
- KYNG, 7 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 21, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.5 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.