- Date
- June 27, 2010, 13:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Punta Gorda, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N363SXSchooley Sonex
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 16, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- Orlando North Florida FSDO
- FAA report
- 20100627042619A
- Case key
- 76445
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, resulting in a hard landing.
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
The pilot stated that he entered the traffic pattern for landing, completed all required checklist items, and made a visual approach to the grass area adjacent to the runway. He flared the airplane high and the airplane touched down hard. As a result of the hard landing, the left main landing gear separated and the airplane nosed over inverted. The pilot reported no preimpact anomalies with the airplane.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated he entered the traffic pattern for landing, completed all required checklist items, and made a visual approach to the grass adjacent to the runway. He flared the airplane high, the airplane landed hard, separated the left main landing gear, and nosed over inverted. The airplane received structural damage to the right wing and vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported no anomalies with the airplane before the accident. Review of the pilot's logbook revealed he has 67.4 total flight hours of which 4.1 hours are in make and model.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N363SX
- Reported as
- Schooley Sonex
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 363
- Airframe hours
- 10
- Engine
- Great Plains 2180, 70 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Frank W. Scooley
- Registered owner
- Frank W. Scooley
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · March 10, 2009 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- PDD · Punta Gorda, FL
- Destination
- PDD · Punta Gorda, FL
- Airport
- PGD · Charlotte County Airport, runway 15, 5,688 × 150 ft
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
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Sport Pilot
- Last flight review
- September 25, 2009
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 67 total · 4 in this make and model · 4 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.96 inHg
- Observed at
- PGD
Docket · 8
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 8, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.7 MB 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.