- Date
- October 18, 2010, 11:22 local (15:22 UTC)
- Place
- Hollywood, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N824RSSqueglia R/Wheeler W Hummel Bird
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 16, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20101018047909A
- Case key
- 77634
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 inadequate flare, which resulted in a hard landing.
Findings · 3
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, he had completed a takeoff and flew the airplane around the traffic pattern without incident. He configured the airplane on a stable approach to runway 09, compensating for a crosswind by positioning the airplane into a left crab angle. As the airplane approached the runway threshold, the pilot applied right rudder and left aileron to align with the runway centerline and prevent drifting to the right. The pilot stated that he over corrected for the crosswind condition and the airplane began to drift to the left. The airplane touched down hard and the left main landing gear bent laterally. As the right main landing gear touched down, the airplane became unstable and veered to the right. The airplane collided with a runway sign, resulting in substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane. The wind reported at the airport about the time of the accident were from 04 degrees at 7 knots.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, he had flown the tail-wheeled airplane earlier in the day and decided to go flying again. The pilot stated that he completed the takeoff and traffic pattern "without incident," and flew a "stable approach" to runway 9, compensating for a crosswind by positioning the airplane into a left crab angle. As the airplane approached the runway threshold, the pilot applied right rudder to align it with the runway, as well as left aileron to prevent it from drifting to the right. The pilot stated that he "over corrected" with left aileron and the airplane began to drift to the left. The airplane touched down "firmly," and "in a full stall tail dragger attitude" on the left main landing gear, which bent laterally. As the right main landing gear touched down, the airplane became unstable, veered to the right, and struck a runway sign, resulting in substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The pilot reported there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane. The winds reported at the airport about the time of the accident were from 040 degrees at 7 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N824RS
- Reported as
- Squeglia R/Wheeler W Hummel Bird
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 304A
- Airframe hours
- 200
- Engine
- Ama/Expr UNKNOWN ENG, 37 hp, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- HWO · Hollywood, FL
- Destination
- HWO · Hollywood, FL
- Airport
- HWO · North Perry Airport, runway 09, 3,255 × 100 ft, concrete
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
- 84
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 13, 2010
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 550 total · 200 in this make and model · 505 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 40° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Observed at
- HWO
Docket · 7
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 21, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.7 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.
Other investigations on N824RS · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.