- Date
- May 21, 2014, 11:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Rockwell City, IA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N50036Lauritsen Ralph M RV 4
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 5, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- FAA report
- 20140521006749A
- Case key
- 89306
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 a hard 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
The pilot reported that while landing she applied aft pressure on the control stick to flair the airplane and lost sight of the runway seeing only the nose of the airplane. She reduced pressure on the control stick and the passenger said "stick forward". The pilot stated that she didn't know how far forward she moved the control stick. The airplane subsequently impacted the runway and nosed down before settling back onto the landing gear. The airplane sustained damage to the propeller, cowl, landing gear and firewall.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that while landing she applied aft pressure on the control stick to flare the airplane and lost sight of the runway seeing only the nose of the airplane. She reduced pressure on the control stick and the passenger said "stick forward". The pilot stated that she didn't know how far forward she moved the control stick. The airplane subsequently impacted the runway and nosed down before settling back onto the landing gear. The airplane sustained damage to the propeller, cowl, landing gear and firewall.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N50036
- Reported as
- Lauritsen Ralph M RV 4 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 693
- Built
- 1989
- Airframe hours
- 244
- Engine
- Lycoming 0-320 SERIES, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · July 15, 2013
- Departed
- BNW · Boone, IA
- Destination
- 2Y4 · Rockwell City, IA
- Airport
- 2Y4 · Rockwell City Muni, runway 30, 3,500 × 60 ft, concrete
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
- 59
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 30, 2013
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 145 total · 29.2 in this make and model · 48.7 as pilot in command · 3 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 13 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FOD, 22 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 12, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.2 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.