- Date
- July 27, 2008, 14:15 local (19:15 UTC)
- Place
- Oshkosh, WI
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N402PBBolenbaugh Phillip William Rans S-6ES
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Landing gear collapse
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 6, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA - Milwaukee FSDO
- FAA report
- 20080727843279A
- Case key
- 68660
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 and subsequent collapse of the nose landing gear.
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 during landing he touched down about 420 feet down the 1,200-foot grass runway and the airplane bounced. He decided to put it "right back down." As soon as the airplane touched down again, the pilot applied brakes with the airplane on all three wheels. He said that the airplane's nosewheel entered a "dip" in the runway that "appeared to be somewhat soft" and the nose landing gear collapsed. The airplane's nose then struck the ground and the airplane nosed over. The pilot reported that the accident could have been prevented by executing a go-around when the airplane bounced.
Factual narrative
On July 27, 2008, about 1415 central daylight time, an amateur-built Bolenbaugh Rans S-6ES, N402PB, piloted by a sport pilot, sustained substantial damage when it nosed over during landing. The airplane was landing at the ultralight airstrip at the annual Experimental Aircraft Association fly-in at Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The flight was operated under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 and was not on a flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot received minor injuries. The flight originated from Juneau, Wisconsin, about 1340.
The pilot reported that during landing he touched down about 35 percent down the 1,200 foot grass runway and the airplane bounced. He decided to put it "right back down." As soon as the airplane touched down again, the pilot applied brakes with the airplane on all three wheels. He said that the airplane nose wheel entered a "dip" in the runway that "appeared to be somewhat soft" and the nose landing gear collapsed. The airplane's nose then struck the ground and the airplane nosed over. The pilot reported that the accident could have been prevented by executing a go-around when the airplane bounced. The pilot reported no preimpact malfunctions of the airplane.
The reported winds at the time of the accident were 270 degrees at 6 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N402PB
- Reported as
- Bolenbaugh Phillip William Rans S-6ES
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 06061751-ES
- Airframe hours
- 239
- Engine
- Rotax 912UL, 80 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · June 20, 2008 · 28 hours before
- Departed
- UNU · Juneau, WI
- Destination
- OSH · Oshkosh, WI
- Airport
- OSH · Wittman Regional Airport, runway 33, 1,200 × 150 ft, grass/turf
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
- 67
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Sport Pilot
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Last flight review
- April 6, 2008
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 937 total · 239 in this make and model · 903 as pilot in command · 60 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.85 inHg
- Observed at
- OSH
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.