# NTSB DFW05CA042: Ohlemeier/Stratton RV-7A, N207TP, Gordonville, TX, December 17, 2004 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: December 17, 2004, 12:05 local (18:05 UTC) - Place: Gordonville, TX - Coordinates: 33.839168, -96.809997 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.8392&lon=-96.8100&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 2 minor - Status: Completed, report February 24, 2005 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Dallas FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 60743 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DFW05CA042 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/60743/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DFW05CA042 ## Probable cause The pilot's misjudged flare. Contributing factors were the uphill slope of the runway and the soft condition of the landing area. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Hard landing, landing - flare/touchdown - airport facilities,runway/landing area condition - uphill (contributing factor) - flare - misjudged, pilot in command (cause) - Nose over, landing - flare/touchdown - terrain condition - soft (contributing factor) ## Analysis The 13,000-hour commercial pilot reported that during his landing flare onto an uphill-sloped grass landing strip, he felt that the airplane was lower than it actually was. The airplane impacted the ground "hard," and the nose gear dug into the "soft ground." The propeller then struck the ground, and the propeller blades "flew off" as the airplane nosed-over and came to rest inverted. ## Factual narrative On December 17, 2004, approximately 1205 central standard time, a Ohlemeier-Stratton RV-7A home-built single-engine airplane, N207TP, registered to and operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage while landing at the Cedar Mills Airport (3T0), near Gordonville, Texas. The commercial pilot and his pilot-rated passenger sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight that originated from the Hidden Valley Airpark (5TXO), near Lake Dallas, Texas, approximately 1130. In a written statement, the 13,000-hour commercial pilot reported that during his approach to 3TO, the wind was from the west, so he overflew the field and turned on a left downwind for runway 25, a 3,000 feet-long by 60 feet-wide grass landing strip. This was the pilot's first time at the airport, and he noted on approach that runway 25 was uphill with trees on each side. The pilot reported that he flew a "normal approach," but when he flared, he felt that the airplane was lower than it actually was. The airplane impacted the ground "hard," and the nose gear dug into the "soft ground." The propeller then struck the ground, and the propeller blades "flew off" as the airplane nosed-over and came to rest inverted. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector who responded to the accident site, there was structural damage to the vertical stabilizer and both wing tips, and the engine was detached from the engine mounts. At 1153, the automated weather observing system at Grayson County Airport (GYI), near Sherman, Texas, located approximately 10 nautical miles southeast of the accident site, reported wind from 270 degrees at 4 knots, a clear sky, 10 statute miles visibility, temperature 55 degrees Fahrenheit, dew point 36 degrees Fahrenheit, and an altimeter setting of 30.37 inches of Mercury. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N207TP](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N207TP), registered now, S/N 70848, built 2004 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Ohlemeier/Stratton RV-7A - Registry model: [Ohlemeier D L/Stratton W A RV-7A](https://openairdocs.org/model/ohlemeier-d-l-stratton-w-a-rv-7a) (registry code 05617R6) (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: 70848 - Airframe hours: 71 - Engines: Subaru 2.57 165 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: Annual, June 1, 2004, 71 hours before - Departed: DTO, Denton, TX - Destination: 3T0, Gordonville, TX - Airport: 3T0, Cedar Mills Airport, runway 7, 3,000 × 60 ft, grass/turf ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 64; injuries: minor; flight engineer, military, commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; last flight review June 22, 2004; seat: left; flight hours: 13,000 total, 32 in this make and model, 2,000 as pilot in command, 20 in the last 90 days, 7 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 270° at 4 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 55 °F, dew point 36 °F - Altimeter: 30.37 inHg - Observed at: GYI, 10 nm away ## 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 20041217030729A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20041217030729A), Dec 17, 2004: Amtr RV7A, Gordanville, TX, Substantial damage. (-23) On 12/17/2004, at approximately 1205 CST, a ohlemeier dl/stratton WA, vans RV-7A, N207TP, owned and operated by[privacy data omitted]experienced a hard… 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.