- Date
- October 5, 2015, 17:45 local (22:45 UTC)
- Place
- Bryan, TX
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N477UCBogle Absey C Breezy RLU-1
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 3, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20151005017689A
- Case key
- 92130
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 excessive descent rate, which resulted in a hard landing and substantial damage.
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 reported that he had been practicing touch and go landings on an airport runway and taxiway. He then made a successful simulated engine out landing on the runway, following that, he and then attempted a simulated engine out landing on the opposite end of the runway. The pilot reported that during the approach, "the turn to downwind caused the speed to decay so I lowered the nose to attempt to regain the speed". He lowered the airplane's nose to regain airspeed, but reported that he realized the attitude was too steep and applied full power in an attempt to recover. The pilot reported that he was unable to slow the descent rate and the airplane landed hard. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and wing struts. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the experimental amateur built airplane reported that he had been practicing touch and go landings on an airport runway and taxiway. He then made a successful simulated engine out landing on the runway, following that, he and then attempted a simulated engine out landing on the opposite end of the runway. The pilot reported that during the approach, "the turn to downwind caused the speed to decay so I lowered the nose to attempt to regain the speed". He lowered the airplane's nose to regain airspeed, but reported that he realized the attitude was too steep and applied full power in an attempt to recover. The pilot reported that he was unable to slow the descent rate and the airplane landed hard. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and wing struts. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N477UC
- Reported as
- Bogle Absey C Breezy RLU-1
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 001
- Built
- 2013
- Airframe hours
- 99
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-C1, 108 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · July 20, 2015
- Departed
- CFD · Bryan, TX
- Destination
- CFD · Bryan, TX
- Airport
- CFD · Coulter Field
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
- 60
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Private, Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 20, 2014
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 4,717 total · 220 in this make and model · 4,686 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 19 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 40° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- KCLL, 8 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 5, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.4 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.