- Date
- July 18, 2013, 16:35 local (20:35 UTC)
- Place
- Limestone, TN
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N926JBJim Braddock Just Aircraft Highla
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 5, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20130718016269A
- Case key
- 87644
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 · 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 was operating the experimental light-sport airplane from a private grass airstrip, and following a brief local flight, was returning for landing. The approach to the runway was “normal” and the prevailing wind was light and variable. During the landing flare, the airplane “settled hard” and bounced back into the air. The pilot responded by adding power and leveling the pitch attitude, but the airplane settled back onto the runway in a flat attitude. The nose landing gear collapsed on touchdown and the airplane then nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and wings. The pilot reported that there were no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot was operating the experimental light-sport airplane from a private grass airstrip, and following a brief local flight, was returning for landing. The approach to the runway was “normal” and the prevailing winds were light and variable. During the landing flare, the airplane “settled hard” and bounced back into the air. The pilot responded by adding power and leveling the pitch attitude, but the airplane settled back onto the runway in a flat attitude. The nose landing gear collapsed on touchdown and the airplane then nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and wings. The pilot reported that there were no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N926JB
- Reported as
- Jim Braddock Just Aircraft Highla
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- JA256-12-11
- Airframe hours
- 45
- Engine
- Rotax 912ULS, 100 hp, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · June 11, 2013 · 45 hours before
- Departed
- NONE · Limestone, TN
- Destination
- NONE · Limestone, TN
- Airport
- NONE · None
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
- 71
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Last flight review
- February 28, 2012
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 877 total · 12 in this make and model · 742 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- TRI, 16 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 21, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.4 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.