- Date
- October 4, 2008, 13:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Mooresville, NC
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N367SAAviat A-1B
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 22, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20081004856959A
- Case key
- 69239
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 flare while landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of recent experience.
Findings · 4
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 an Aviat A-1B on runway 14, during the flare/touchdown, the "airplane bounced once, and then settled gently on the main wheels." The airplane began to drift slightly to the right and he added left aileron and left rudder to align his longitudinal axis with the centerline of the runway. At that point, the tail wheel touched down and abruptly swung to the right, causing the airplane to become almost perpendicular with the runway. The right main gear collapsed and the right wing impacted the ground. The pilot and passenger egressed the airplane without injury. The pilot also reported that the winds were light and variable at the time of the accident. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector found that when the pilot bounced the airplane, he had struck the tail wheel and damaged it. When the damaged tail wheel touched down the second time, it caused the airplane to ground loop. The pilot's total flight time in all aircraft was recorded at 210.7 hours, with 32.1 hours in make and model. The pilot stated that he has logged 1 hour in make and model in the last 90 days and 1 hour in make and model in the last 30 days.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, while landing an Aviat A-1B on runway 14, during the flare/touchdown, the "airplane bounced once, and then settled gently on the main wheels." The airplane began to drift slightly to the right and he added left aileron and left rudder to align his longitudinal axis with the centerline of the runway. At that point, the tail wheel touched down and abruptly swung to the right, causing the airplane to become almost perpendicular with the runway. The right main gear collapsed and the right wing impacted the ground. The pilot and passenger egressed the airplane without injury. The pilot also reported that the winds were light and variable at the time of the accident. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector found that when the pilot bounced the airplane, he had struck the tail wheel and damaged it. When the damaged tail wheel touched down the second time, it caused the airplane to ground loop. The pilot's total flight time in all aircraft was recorded at 210.7 hours, with 32.1 hours in make and model. The pilot stated that he has logged 1 hour in make and model in the last 90 days and 1 hour in make and model in the last 30 days.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N367SA
- Reported as
- Aviat A-1B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2197
- Airframe hours
- 370.6
- Engine
- Lycoming O360-A1P, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 24, 2008
- Departed
- J9F · Concord, NC
- Destination
- 14A · Mooresville, NC
- Airport
- 14A · Lake Norman Airport, runway 14, 3,147 × 40 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
- 32
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 30, 2006
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 210 total · 32 in this make and model · 150 as pilot in command · 2 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.19 inHg
- Observed at
- JQF, 16 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.
Other investigations on N367SA · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.