# NTSB CEN15LA351: Roberts Bruce W Vans Aircraft RV 9A, N142DD, Land O' Lakes, WI, July 19, 2015 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: July 19, 2015, 13:35 local (18:35 UTC) - Place: Land O' Lakes, WI - Coordinates: 46.154167, -89.211944 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=46.1542&lon=-89.2119&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing-landing roll: Landing gear collapse](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 2 minor - Status: Completed, report August 3, 2020 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA - NTSB case key (mKey): 91761 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN15LA351 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/91761/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=91761 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN15LA351 ## Probable cause The pilot’s failure to maintain a proper descent rate, which resulted in a hard landing. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Action: incorrect action performance](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041015): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Roberts Bruce W VANS AIRCRAFT RV-9A, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041015/cases.md?model=05621FV), [All aircraft, 1,386 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041015/cases.md) - [Performance/control parameters: descent rate](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062037): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Roberts Bruce W VANS AIRCRAFT RV-9A, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062037/cases.md?model=05621FV), [All aircraft, 242 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062037/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing-landing roll: Landing gear collapse](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094) (defining event); cases with it: [Roberts Bruce W VANS AIRCRAFT RV-9A, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094/sequence.md?model=05621FV), [All aircraft, 1,787 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094/sequence.md) - [Landing-landing roll: Nose over/nose down](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096); cases with it: [Roberts Bruce W VANS AIRCRAFT RV-9A, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096/sequence.md?model=05621FV), [All aircraft, 2,287 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot and passenger were landing on a grass strip when the airplane landed hard and bounced twice. The nose gear fork embedded in the grass surface, the nose gear collapsed, and the propeller lodged in the soil. The airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted, which resulted in substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and main spar. Although the pilot thought that the airplane had hit an uneven surface during landing that caused the gear to collapse, an examination of the grass runway did not reveal any irregularities in the surface of the area of the nose gear collapse. ## Factual narrative On July 19, 2015, about 1335 central daylight time, a Vans RV-9A, N142DD, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident at Kings Land O' Lakes Airport (LNL), Land O' Lakes, Wisconsin. The pilot and passenger received minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to details provided by Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors, the airplane landed hard on the grass runway and bounced twice. After the second bounce, the nose gear fork embedded into the grass. The nose landing gear leg folded under the cowling. The propeller spinner dug into the ground and the airplane nosed over, coming to rest inverted. The vertical stabilizer and main spar sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported to the FAA inspectors that the airplane hit uneven surface during the landing and that caused the nose landing gear to collapse. A local mechanic drove the runway in his vehicle and advised the FAA inspectors there were no irregularities in the surface in the area of the nose gear collapse. The NTSB did not receive a completed "Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report" from the pilot. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N142DD](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N142DD-2016-10-24), registration cancelled 2016-10-24, S/N 90732, built 2006 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: ROBERTS BRUCE W VANS AIRCRAFT RV 9A (A) - Registry model: [Roberts Bruce W VANS AIRCRAFT RV-9A](https://openairdocs.org/model/roberts-bruce-w-vans-aircraft-rv-9a) (registry code 05621FV) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Amateur-built UNKNOWN ENG](https://openairdocs.org/engine/amateur-built-unknown-eng) (registry code 99999) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane, amateur-built - Serial number: 90732 - Year built: 2006 - Engines: Aero Sport Power O-320-D1A 160 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Destination: LNL, Land O' Lakes, WI - Airport: LNL, Kings Land O' Lakes, runway UNK, 2,577 × 130 ft, grass/turf ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 42; injuries: minor; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3; seat: left ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 260° at 12 knots, gusting 19 - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Temperature: 77 °F, dew point 52 °F - Altimeter: 29.84 inHg - Observed at: KLNL ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20150719013769A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20150719013769A), Jul 19, 2015: Roberts Bruce W VANS AIRCRAFT RV-9A, Land O' Lakes, WI, Substantial damage. Pilot reported that he made a normal approach to landing. He stated that there were no issues with the weather or the aircraft. The airplane upon landing… ## Docket (2 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 20, 2020, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=91761. 143 KB in all. - Record of Conversation with FAA Inspector Grossenbacher (item 1, .PDF, 90 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40483862&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Record%20of%20Conversation%20with%20FAA%20Inspector%20Grossenbacher-Master.PDF - Record of Conversation with FAA Inspector Corrao (item 2, .PDF, 53 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40483863&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Record%20of%20Conversation%20with%20FAA%20Inspector%20Corrao-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.