- Date
- April 22, 2003, 20:20 local (Apr 23, 2003, 01:20 UTC)
- Place
- Canton, TX
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N528DHHackney Vans RV-6A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20030422006989A
- Case key
- 56865
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 directional control during the landing flare/touchdown. A contributing factor was the soft terrain.
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
During the landing flare/touchdown at dusk, the airplane drifted to the left of the private, hard-surface, 2,600-foot runway. The airplane landed in the grass and soft terrain, the nose landing gear dug into the soft ground, and the airplane nosed-over, coming to rest inverted.
Factual narrative
On April 22, 2003, approximately 2020 central daylight time, a Hackney Vans RV-6A experimental homebuilt airplane, N528DH, experienced a loss of control while landing at a private hard surface airstrip near Canton, Texas. The airplane was owned by a private individual and flown by the pilot under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The commercial pilot, sole occupant, received minor injuries, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight, and a flight plan was not filed. The cross-country flight originated from Anadarko Municipal Airport (F68), Anadarko, Oklahoma, approximately 1835.
On the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2), the 5,000 hour pilot reported that during the landing flare/touchdown on runway 14, the airplane drifted to the left of the 2,600 foot long runway. The airplane drifted into the grass and soft terrain, the nose landing gear dug into the soft ground about 1,000 feet past the touchdown point and the airplane nosed over, coming to rest in the inverted position.
Local authorities, airport personnel, and the pilot examined the airplane. The airplane fuselage canopy, vertical stabilizer, rudder, and propeller were found damaged.
The U. S. Naval Observatory reported sunset at 1959, and the end of civil twilight at 2025.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N528DH
- Reported as
- Hackney Vans RV-6A
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 22528
- Airframe hours
- 110
- Engine
- General Motors GM4.3LG, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Donald P. Hackney
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · April 1, 2003 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- F68 · Anadarko, OK
- Destination
- 1TA7 · Canton, TX
- Airport
- 1TA7 · Thompson Field Airport, runway 14, 2,600 × 80 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
- 67
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- December 2, 2002
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,000 total · 50 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 120° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- TRL, 20 nm away
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 N528DH · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.