DFW07CA200

NTSB accident investigation · Vans RV-7A · Vernon, TX · September 16, 2007

Accident · Minor injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
September 16, 2007, 14:00 local (19:00 UTC)
Place
Vernon, TX
Injuries
1 minor
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N729CMVans RV-7A
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report December 20, 2007
Report
Approved by Office Director
Parties
Fort Worth, Texas
FAA report
20070916018499A
Case key
66675

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane while landing. A contributing factor was the prevailing tailwind.

Sequence of events

NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.

Loss of control - on ground/waterLanding - flare/touchdown
Aircraft control - not maintainedPilot in commandCause
Weather condition - tailwindFactor

Analysis

The 603-hour private pilot lost control of the homebuilt airplane while landing with a tailwind. The pilot, who was also the builder of the airplane, stated on the NTSB form 6120.1 (Pilot/Operator Accident/Incident Report) that during her first attempt to land, she "was getting strong wind gusts and about the time she flared the airplane, a strong wind gust shot me 50 feet in the air." The pilot then applied power and regained runway alignment and came around for a second landing attempt on Runway 02. The pilot reported that her second landing attempt resulted in a hard landing. When the nose gear contacted the ground the pilot encountered "a bad shimmy and when it settled I knew I did not have control of the airplane." Following the loss of control, the airplane was reported to have turned sharply to the right, nosed over and came to rest in the inverted position. The wind at the time of the mishap was reported from 200 degrees at 12 knots, gusting to 19 knots. The pilot added that she had noted during Unicom radio traffic that the landing traffic was to Runway 20 and she mistakenly landed to Runway 02.

Factual narrative

The 603-hour private pilot lost control of the homebuilt airplane while landing with a tailwind. The pilot, who was also the builder of the airplane, stated on the NTSB form 6120.1 (Pilot/Operator Accident/Incident Report) that during her first attempt to land, she "was getting strong wind gusts and about the time she flared the airplane, a strong wind gust shot me 50 feet in the air." The pilot then applied power and regained runway alignment and came around for a second landing attempt on Runway 02. The pilot reported that her second landing attempt resulted in a hard landing. When the nose gear contacted the ground the pilot encountered "a bad shimmy and when it settled I knew I did not have control of the airplane." Following the loss of control, the airplane was reported to have turned sharply to the right, nosed-over and came to rest in the inverted position. The wind at the time of the mishap was reported from 200 degrees at 12 knots, gusting to 19 knots. The pilot added that she had noted during Unicom radio traffic that the landing traffic was to Runway 20 and she mistakenly landed to Runway 02.

Aircraft

Registration
N729CM
Reported as
Vans RV-7A
Category
Airplane, amateur-built
Serial number
71712
Airframe hours
225
Engine
Lycoming O-360-A1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Airworthiness certificate
Special, Experimental (Special)
Departed
KBJC · Denver, CO
Destination
T67 · Fort Worth, TX
Flight plan
VFR
Airport
F05 · Wilbarger County Airport, runway 02, 5,099 × 100 ft, asphalt

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
70
Injuries
Minor
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Medical
Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
Last flight review
December 1, 2005
Seat
Left
Flight hours
603 total · 201 in this make and model · 478 as pilot in command · 18 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
200° at 12 knots, gusting 19
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
91 °F, dew point 63 °F
Altimeter
30.04 inHg
Observed at
KFDR

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.