- Date
- June 20, 2015, 10:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Oshkosh, WI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N242VAVans RV-12
- Defining event
- Landing: Landing area undershoot
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 12, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20150620009199A
- Case key
- 91504
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 monitor the airplane's glide path during the final approach, which resulted in a low approach path and impact with terrain.
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 reported that during the final approach to land as part of a formation flight, he was focused on monitoring the airplane that landed in front of him, and his airplane's airspeed indicator. As a result, he inadvertently flew below the normal glide path, impacted terrain, and sheared off the nose landing gear. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall. The pilot did not report any preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during the final approach to land as part of a formation flight, he was focused on monitoring the airplane that landed in front of him, and his airplane's airspeed indicator. As a result, he inadvertently flew below the normal glide path, impacted terrain, and sheared off the nose landing gear. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall. The pilot did not report any preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N242VA
- Reported as
- Vans RV-12 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12017
- Built
- 2013
- Airframe hours
- 65
- Engine
- Rotax 912, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 14, 2014
- Departed
- Y50 · Wautoma, WI
- Destination
- WS17 · Oshkosh, WI
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- WS17 · Pioneer, runway 13, 1,988 × 130 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display, Auto-pilot, Stall warning system
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
- 68
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Sport Pilot
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Last flight review
- September 2, 2013
- Seat
- Left
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.89 inHg
- Observed at
- KOSH
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 3, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.3 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.