- Date
- April 16, 2002, 18:40 local (23:40 UTC)
- Place
- Cleveland, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N355BHHalfacre Velocity
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 1, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20020416010499A
- Case key
- 54541
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 maintain the proper descent rate during the landing flare/touchdown.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
As the pilot was beginning his flare prior to touchdown, he encountered a strong gust of wind which resulted in a high rate of descent. The airplane impacted the ground 48 feet short of the runway, where the left main landing gear separated. Subsequently, the airplane slid 234 feet down the runway on its nose gear, right main landing gear, and left wingtip. The aircraft came to rest 30 feet off the left side of the runway in an upright position.
Factual narrative
On April 16, 2002, at 1840 central daylight time, a Halfacre Velocity single-engine homebuilt airplane, N355BH, was substantially damaged during a hard landing near Cleveland, Texas. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual. The commercial pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight, and a flight plan was not filed. The local flight departed the Cleveland Municipal Airport, Cleveland, Texas, approximately 1750.
According to the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2), the pilot reported that as he was beginning his flare prior to touchdown, he encountered a "rotor" (a strong gust of wind) which "caused a high descent rate." The airplane contacted the ground short of the runway, and the left main gear separated. The airplane continued down the runway on the nose gear, right main gear, and left wingtip. Subsequently, the airplane departed the left side of the runway, where the nose gear and right main landing gear separated.
According to the FAA inspector, who responded to the accident site, the airplane impacted terrain 48 feet short of runway 16. It then slid approximately 234 feet down the runway, coming to rest upright 30 feet off the left side of the runway.
At 1853, the Conroe, Texas, Automated Weather Observation Service (AWOS), located 22 miles west of the accident site, reported the wind from 150 degrees at 11 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, sky clear, temperature 26 degrees C, dew point 21 degrees C, and an altimeter of 30.00 inches of mercury.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N355BH
- Reported as
- Halfacre Velocity
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1
- Airframe hours
- 628
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A3A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Rick Price
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 27, 2002 · 11 hours before
- Departed
- 6R3 · Cleveland, TX
- Destination
- 6R3 · Cleveland, TX
- Airport
- 6R3 · Cleveland Municipal Airport, runway 16, 4,997 × 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 38
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- July 25, 2000
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,691 total · 488 in this make and model · 1,623 as pilot in command · 13 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CXO, 22 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 10, 2002, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 427 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.