- Date
- April 17, 2013, 11:45 local (15:45 UTC)
- Place
- Salisbury, NC
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N439RPPoole Robert C JR Van's
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Status
- Completed · report August 13, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20130417006129A
- Case key
- 86668
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 landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing, and his subsequent decision to exit the paved runway onto the soft terrain.
Findings · 5
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, the airplane had about 9 total flight hours. He performed a touch-and-go landing, and during the departure, the flaps would not retract. During the next attempt to land, the airplane was not positioned properly, so the pilot performed a go-around. On the following attempt to land, the pilot began a straight-in approach about 3 miles from the runway. On touchdown, the airplane's nose impacted the runway and the nose gear collapsed. As the airplane slowed, the pilot intentionally veered the airplane into the grass next to the runway to avoid remaining on, and thus closing, the runway. The nose gear dug into the soft terrain, and the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted, which resulted in substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and rudder. Examination of the flap system revealed a blown fuse; no other preimpact malfunction or abnormality was found that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, the airplane had about 9 total flight hours. He performed a touch-and-go landing and during departure the flaps would not retract. During the first attempt to land, the airplane was not in a position to land and a go-around was conducted. On the second attempt to land he began a straight-in approach about 3 miles from the runway since the flaps would not retract. On touchdown, the airplane's nose impacted the runway and the nose gear collapsed. As the airplane slowed, the pilot elected to exit the side of the paved surface into the grass, in order to avoid closing the runway. Subsequently, the nose gear dug into the soft terrain, the airplane nosed over, and came to rest inverted, which resulted in substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and rudder. Examination of the flap system revealed a blown fuse, no other preimpact malfunction or abnormality was found that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N439RP
- Reported as
- Poole Robert C JR Van's (RV-9A)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 91603
- Airframe hours
- 9
- Engine
- ECi OX-320, 167 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- RUQ · Salisbury, NC
- Destination
- RUQ · Salisbury, NC
- Airport
- RUQ · Rowan County Airport, runway 20, 5,501 × 100 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
- 69
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 14, 2013
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 160 total · 9 in this make and model · 160 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Wind
- 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 11,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.20 inHg
- Observed at
- RUQ
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 6, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.1 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.