- Date
- May 12, 2021, 12:41 local (18:41 UTC)
- Place
- Watkins, CO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N51LVVarner David L Vans RV-8
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- 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
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20210512008999A
- Case key
- 103112
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 failure to maintain control of the airplane during landing.
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
The pilot reported that on his third landing in his recently purchased tailwheel-equipped airplane and while decelerating through 40 knots, the airplane veered to the right and proceeded toward the edge of the runway. The pilot applied left brake to regain control and both brakes when he realized the airplane would depart the right side of the runway. The airplane departed the runway surface, the main wheels contacted the soft terrain, and the airplane tipped forward onto the nose and left wingtip. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N51LV
- Reported as
- Varner David L Vans RV-8
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 81871
- Built
- 2008
- Airframe hours
- 299.9
- Engine
- Aerosport IO-360-B1B, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · April 6, 2021
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- CFO · Colorado Air And Space Port, runway 08/26, 8,002 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Auto-pilot, Angle of attack indicator, Electronic multifunction display, ADS-B, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Electronic primary flight display
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
- 57
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 16, 2020
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 7,320 total · 7 in this make and model · 2,816 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.26 inHg
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 7, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.6 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.