- Date
- April 15, 2011, 14:15 local (18:15 UTC)
- Place
- Baltimore, MD
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N57CWWalker J C Lancair 320
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 12, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA Baltimore FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110415006809A
- Case key
- 78891
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 recovery from a bounced 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
The pilot stated that he entered the traffic pattern, completed all prelanding checklist items, and turned from base to final approach for landing. The airplane was high and fast on final. Upon touchdown, the airplane bounced twice and veered to the left before coming to a stop. The nose gear separated, the left main landing gear punctured the left wing resulting in substantial damage, and the right main landing gear folded. Postaccident examination of the airframe, flight controls, engine assembly and accessories revealed no anomalies. The pilot stated that he did not experience any mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident and that he should have performed a go-around after the first bounce.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that he entered the landing pattern, completed all checklist items, and turned from base to final approach for landing. The airplane was high and fast on final. Upon touchdown, the airplane bounced 2 times and veered to the left before coming to a stop. The nose gear separated, the left main landing gear came up through the left wing resulting in substantial damage, and the right main landing gear folded. Examination of the airframe, flight controls, engine assembly and accessories revealed no anomalies. The pilot stated he did not experience any mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident and that he should have made a go-around after the first bounce.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N57CW
- Reported as
- Walker J C Lancair 320
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 454-320-203-FB
- Airframe hours
- 1,774
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-320 SERIES, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Walker James C
- Registered owner
- Walker James C
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · January 11, 2011 · 150 hours before
- Departed
- HVN · New Haven, CT
- Destination
- MTN · Baltimore, MD
- Airport
- MTN · Martin State Airport, runway 15, 6,996 × 180 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
- 76
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 20, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 8,600 total · 1,900 in this make and model · 8,000 as pilot in command · 250 in the last 90 days · 75 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 12 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.34 inHg
- Observed at
- MTN
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 3, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 347 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.