- Date
- June 8, 2020, 11:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Sulfer, LA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N44LAVans RV8
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Aircraft structural failure
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- FAA report
- 20200608011129A
- Case key
- 101408
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
A loss of directional control as a result of a fractured landing gear attach bracket.
Findings · 2
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
According to the pilot, while landing his tailwheel airplane on runway 15 with gusty winds from 250°, there was a slight bounce when he touched the runway with the right tire. As the left main tire touched down, he felt the left side of the airplane "drop suddenly." As the airplane continued down the runway, it began to veer to the left. He applied full right rudder and right brake, which kept the airplane on the runway for several hundred feet before directional control could no longer be maintained. The airplane exited the runway and nosed over which resulted in substantial damage to the right elevator. A post-accident examination revealed a fractured left landing gear inboard attach bracket.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, while landing his tailwheel airplane on runway 15 with gusty winds from 250°, there was a slight bounce when he touched the runway with the right tire. As the left main tire touched down, he felt the left side of the airplane "drop suddenly." As the airplane continued down the runway, it began to veer to the left. He applied full right rudder and right brake, which kept the airplane on the runway for several hundred feet before directional control could no longer be maintained. The airplane exited the runway and nosed over which resulted in substantial damage to the right elevator. A post-accident examination revealed a fractured left landing gear inboard attach bracket.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N44LA
- Reported as
- Vans RV8
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 82421
- Built
- 2007
- Airframe hours
- 634
- Engine
- Aero Sport Power O360-A1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · June 30, 2019 · 83 hours before
- Departed
- L39 · Leesville, LA
- Destination
- UXL · Sulfer, LA
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- UXL · Southland Field, runway 15, 5,001 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display, ADS-B, Auto-pilot
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
- 76
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 7,650 total · 9,898 in this make and model · 7,178 as pilot in command · 48 in the last 90 days · 18 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 9 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- None
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 26, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 12.8 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.