- Date
- July 25, 2013, 09:00 local (14:00 UTC)
- Place
- Charlottesville, IN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1243ADavid W Oakes RV-7A
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 21, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- FAA report
- 20130725014689A
- Case key
- 87570
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 improper landing attitude which damaged the nosewheel and a resulted in a hard landing.
Findings · 1
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
While in the traffic pattern to land on a turf strip, the pilot noted that he was below a normal pattern altitude. During the final approach leg, the pilot had to add power to ensure the airplane would make the runway surface. Once the airplane made the end of the runway, the pilot pulled the throttle to idle and the airplane descended. The nosewheel touched first and bent aft. The airplane bounced and then landed hard. The nose of the airplane contacted the ground and the airplane flipped over, coming to rest in the inverted position. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failure prior to the accident. Examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and rudder.
Factual narrative
While in the traffic pattern to land on a turf strip, the pilot noted that he was below a normal pattern altitude. During the final approach leg, the pilot had to add power to ensure the airplane would make the runway surface. Once the airplane made the end of the runway, the pilot pulled the throttle to idle and the airplane descended. The nosewheel touched first and bent aft. The airplane bounced and then landed hard. The nose of the airplane contacted the ground and the airplane flipped over, coming to rest in the inverted position. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failure prior to the accident. Examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and rudder.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1243A
- Reported as
- David W Oakes RV-7A
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 72022
- Airframe hours
- 34.8
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A1A, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Oakes David W
- Registered owner
- Oakes David W
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 21, 2012
- Departed
- KGEZ · Shelbyville, IN
- Destination
- 66IN · Charlottesville, IN
- Airport
- 66IN · Oakes Field, runway 36, 1,000 × 60 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
- 70
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 21, 2013
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 928 total · 35 in this make and model · 928 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Observed at
- KGEZ, 15 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 25, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.6 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.