# NTSB CEN18LA295: Vans RV7A, N20342, Princeton, MN, July 24, 2018 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: July 24, 2018, 14:56 local (19:56 UTC) - Place: Princeton, MN - Coordinates: 45.559722, -93.608329 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=45.5597&lon=-93.6083&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing: Loss of control on ground](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 2 serious - Status: Completed, report April 30, 2019 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA Flight Standards District Office - NTSB case key (mKey): 97885 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN18LA295 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/97885/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=97885 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN18LA295 ## Probable cause A flat nosewheel tire, which resulted in the pilot’s inability to maintain directional control on landing. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Landing gear system: tire casing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023244): Aircraft › Aircraft systems · Failure (probable cause); cases with it: [Schmidt Steve RV7A, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023244/cases.md?model=056141D), [All aircraft, 36 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023244/cases.md) - [Performance/control parameters: directional control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Attain/maintain not possible (probable cause); cases with it: [Schmidt Steve RV7A, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020/cases.md?model=056141D), [All aircraft, 3,958 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020/cases.md) - [Terrain: wet/muddy terrain](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03021035): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Effect on equipment; cases with it: [Schmidt Steve RV7A, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03021035/cases.md?model=056141D), [All aircraft, 110 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03021035/cases.md) - [Object/animal/substance: runway/taxi/approach light](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022012): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Contributed to outcome; cases with it: [Schmidt Steve RV7A, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022012/cases.md?model=056141D), [All aircraft, 106 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022012/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing: Loss of control on ground](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230) (defining event); cases with it: [Schmidt Steve RV7A, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230/sequence.md?model=056141D), [All aircraft, 4,585 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230/sequence.md) - [Landing: Nose over/nose down](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096); cases with it: [Schmidt Steve RV7A, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096/sequence.md?model=056141D), [All aircraft, 2,287 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096/sequence.md) - [Landing: Runway excursion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300); cases with it: [Schmidt Steve RV7A, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md?model=056141D), [All aircraft, 3,643 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md) - [Landing: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Schmidt Steve RV7A, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=056141D), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis The private pilot was conducting a personal cross-country flight and decided to stop at an intermediate airport to refuel the airplane. When the airplane touched down, it swerved left, exited the side of the runway, struck a runway edge light, and then nosed over in soft terrain. Examination of the runway revealed that a long black line, which extended from the centerline to where the runway edge light was struck, was imprinted in the pavement. It is likely that the imprint was created by the chine that was pronounced on both sides of the tire. These ground signatures indicate that the nosewheel tire was likely flat upon touchdown, which led to the pilot’s inability to maintain directional control upon landing. ## Factual narrative On July 24, 2018, about 1456 central daylight time (cdt), a Schmidt Vans RV7A, N20342, nosed over during landing at Princeton Municipal Airport (PNM), Princeton, Minnesota. The pilot and passenger were seriously injured, and the airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight originated from Mercer County Regional Airport (HZE), Hazen, North Dakota, and was destined for Wittman Regional Airport (OSH), Oshkosh Wisconsin, but diverted to PNM. The pilot and his son departed Schmidt Ranch Airport (1WN0), Northport, Washington, at 0515 Pacific daylight time, and flew to Hazen (HZE), North Dakota, and refueled. They departed HZE at 1315 cdt en route to OSH. They decided to stop in PNM for fuel. The winds were gusty. The approach to PNM was normal. When they touched down, the airplane swerved to the left, departed the runway onto soft soil, and nosed over. In his accident report, the pilot said the nose tire blew out on landing and caused the airplane to exit the runway. In an e-mail from the FAA inspector who examined the airplane, he felt that, based on ground signatures and the fact the airplane did not have a steerable nose wheel, the nose tire was flat on touchdown. He wrote: "There was a distinct long black line imprinted in the pavement from the centerline where he landed right over to the impacted runway light. The line was created by the chine that was pronounced on each side of this brand of tire. It was a gentle curve to the left off the runway with no swerving. The tire got a set in it (the sidewalls were stiffer when the flat tire was depressed with my fingers), and gentle differential braking did not affect it at all. The tire would not even roll well in the grass alongside the runway." ## Aircraft - Registration: [N20342](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N20342-2019-05-06), registration cancelled 2019-05-06, S/N 70204, built 2003 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Vans RV7A - Registry model: [Schmidt Steve RV7A](https://openairdocs.org/model/schmidt-steve-rv7a) (registry code 056141D) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming O-360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-360-series) (registry code 41575, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane, amateur-built - Serial number: 70204 - Year built: 2003 - Airframe hours: 872 - Engines: Lycoming O-360-A1A 180 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: Annual, May 7, 2018 - Departed: HZE, Hazen, ND - Destination: PNM, Princeton, MN - Airport: PNM, Princeton Municipal, runway 33, 3,900 × 75 ft, asphalt - Equipment: Auto-pilot, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display, Heads up display, Onboard weather, Satellite tracking device, Stall warning system, Video recording device ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 77; injuries: serious; private; airplane ratings: single-engine sea, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; seat: left; restraint: 4-point; flight hours: 5,200 total, 886 in this make and model, 5,200 as pilot in command ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 260° at 9 knots, gusting 14 - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 82 °F, dew point 57 °F - Altimeter: 30.06 inHg - Observed at: PNM ## 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 20180724021399A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20180724021399A), Jul 24, 2018: Schmidt Steve RV7A, Princeton, MN, Substantial damage. Aircraft landed with flat/low nose tire. Flipped over in soft sand & grass alongside runway. Aircraft landed on the numbers but continued for 1500 feet… ## Other investigations on N20342 (1) 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. - [NTSB SEA06CA086](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA06CA086), Apr 26, 2006: Schmidt RV7A (N20342), Northport, WA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing flare/touchdown. Factors contributing to the accident included the gusty wind and soft terrain conditions which resulted in the… ## Docket (3 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 2, 2018, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=97885. 7.6 MB in all. - NTSB Form 6120.1-2, Pilot-Operator Aircraft Accident Report (item 1, .PDF, 7.4 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40467128&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=NTSB%20Form%206120.1-2,%20Pilot-Operator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report-Master.PDF - Report from FAA Inspector (item 2, .PDF, 15 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40467129&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Report%20from%20FAA%20Inspector-Master.PDF - Report Photos (item 3, .PDF, 217 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40467130&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Report%20Photos-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.