- Date
- May 15, 2010, 11:15 local (15:15 UTC)
- Place
- Kingston, TN
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1415EChampion 7BCM
- Defining event
- Landing: Nose over/nose down
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 12, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20100515034099A
- Case key
- 76046
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 selection of an unsuitable landing site, which resulted in a nose-over.
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
According to the pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane, he had not landed at the destination airport “in several years.” Although the airport had a paved runway, the pilot preferred to land on grass rather than pavement. Since he had landed on the grassy area adjacent to the left side of the runway during his previous visit, he decided to land on it once again. From the air, “it looked good," so he proceeded to land. During the landing, he realized that the grass was not mowed and was "over waist deep." Upon touch down, the main landing gear caught the grass, the airplane nosed over, and the pilot sustained a fractured vertebrae. For grass operations, the airport had been using the mowed area to the right side of the runway.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane, he had not landed at the destination airport “in several years.” Although the airport had a paved runway, the pilot preferred to land on grass rather than pavement. Since he had landed on the grassy area adjacent to the left side of the runway during his previous visit, he decided to land on it once again. From the air, “it looked good," so he proceeded to land. During the landing, he realized that the grass was not mowed and was "over waist deep." Upon touch down, the main landing gear caught the grass, the airplane nosed over, and the pilot sustained a fractured vertebrae. For grass operations, the airport had been using the mowed area to the right side of the runway.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1415E
- Reported as
- Champion 7BCM
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7AC-4978
- Airframe hours
- 1,878
- Engine
- Continental C-85-8F, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 22, 2009
- Departed
- TN98 · Knoxville, TN
- Destination
- 12TN · Kingston, TN
- Airport
- 12TN · Riley Creek Airport, runway 23L, 2,606 × 40 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
- 79
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificates
- Private, Sport Pilot
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Last flight review
- June 16, 2008
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,061 total · 182 in this make and model · 881 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.25 inHg
- Observed at
- OQT, 19 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 20, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 655 KB 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.