- Date
- September 22, 2013, 12:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Pahokee, FL
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N244FMMarconi Fred I JR Velocity XL/RG
- Defining event
- Landing: Landing gear not configured
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 4, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FSDO/FAA
- FAA report
- 20130922019329A
- Case key
- 88105
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 failure to ensure that the landing gear were extended during the simulated forced landing attempt. Contributing to the outcome was the pilot's decision to continue the aborted landing after the propeller had contacted the runway.
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 of the experimental amateur-built airplane was performing a simulated forced landing to the airport runway. As the airplane was in the landing flare, another pilot radioed that the accident airplane's landing gear was still retracted. About that time, the aft mounted propeller struck the runway and the pilot increased power in an attempt to abort the landing. The pilot subsequently lost control of the airplane and it impacted terrain to the side of the runway, resulting in serious injuries to the pilot and flight instructor, and substantial damage to the airframe. Examination of the wreckage following the accident revealed that the landing gear switch was selected to the "UP" position.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the experimental amateur-built airplane was performing a simulated forced landing to the airport runway. As the airplane was in the landing flare, another pilot radioed that the accident airplane's landing gear was still retracted. About that time, the aft mounted propeller struck the runway and the pilot increased power in an attempt to abort the landing. The pilot subsequently lost control of the airplane and it impacted terrain to the side of the runway, resulting in serious injuries to the pilot and flight instructor, and substantial damage to the airframe. Examination of the wreckage following the accident revealed that the landing gear switch was selected to the "UP" position.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N244FM
- Reported as
- Marconi Fred I JR Velocity XL/RG (3RX072)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 3RX072
- Built
- 1999
- Airframe hours
- 770
- Engine
- Lycoming IO 540, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 20, 2013
- Departed
- HWO · Hollywood, FL
- Destination
- HWO · Hollywood, FL
- Airport
- PHK · Palm Beach County Glades Arpt, runway 17, 4,116 × 75 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 68
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 18, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 987.2 total · 770.9 in this make and model · 987.2 as pilot in command · 12.5 in the last 90 days · 6.8 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 78
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 20, 2012
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 4,465 total · 550 in this make and model · 4,200 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,800 ft broken
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.81 inHg
- Observed at
- PBI, 32 nm away
Docket · 6
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 23, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.7 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.