- Date
- June 5, 2013, 14:35 local (18:35 UTC)
- Place
- Concord, NH
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N622BTFlight Design Ctls
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 23, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20130605008989A
- Case key
- 87104
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 subsequent main landing gear collapse.
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 pilot, he flew the visual approach at the 55-knot normal airspeed as prescribed by the airplane owner's manual. The pilot stated that during the flare, the airplane lost lift and impacted the runway. During rollout on the runway, the right main landing gear collapsed and the airplane ground looped 180 degrees, and came to rest on the right side of runway 35. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the right main landing gear attachment point and the engine firewall were substantially damaged. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The recorded wind at the airport, about the time of the accident, was from 320 degrees at 7 knots.
Factual narrative
According to pilot, he flew the visual approach at the 55-knot normal airspeed as prescribed by the airplane owner's manual. The pilot stated that during the flare, the airplane lost lift and impacted the runway. During rollout on the runway, the right main landing gear collapsed and the airplane ground looped 180 degrees, and came to rest on the right side of runway 35. Postaccident examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the right main landing gear attachment point and the engine firewall were substantially damaged. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The recorded wind at the airport, about the time of the accident, was from 320 degrees at 7 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N622BT
- Reported as
- Flight Design Ctls
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 11-11-05
- Airframe hours
- 73
- Engine
- BRN-Powertrain Rotax 912ULS, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- James B. McGee
- Registered owner
- James B. McGee
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 13, 2013 · 27 hours before
- Departed
- CON · Concord, NH
- Destination
- CON · Concord, NH
- Airport
- CON · Concord Municipal Airport, runway 35, 6,005 × 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
- 54
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Sport Pilot
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Last flight review
- December 29, 2012
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 60 total · 48 in this make and model · 42 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 7 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Observed at
- CON
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 24, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.0 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 N622BT · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.