- Date
- November 13, 2015, 10:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Winter Haven, FL
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N688KASweeney Timothy J Rans S6-ES
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 15, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- Orlando FSDO (FAA)
- FAA report
- 20151113023389A
- Case key
- 92339
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 improper landing flare, which resulted in a nose gear collapse and nose over.
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 an intentional landing on the grass parallel to an asphalt runway, he touched down fast and bounced "slightly." He then became distracted when another pilot reported over the radio that a coyote was crossing the runway. Subsequently, he "let the nose wheel down too early and too quickly." The nose gear collapsed and the airplane nosed over. The vertical stabilizer was substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during an intentional landing on the grass parallel to an asphalt runway, he touched down fast and bounced "slightly." He then became distracted when another pilot reported over the radio that a coyote was crossing the runway. Subsequently, he "let the nose wheel down too early and too quickly." The nose gear collapsed and the airplane nosed over. The vertical stabilizer was substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N688KA
- Reported as
- Sweeney Timothy J Rans S6-ES
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 05081884-ES
- Built
- 2009
- Airframe hours
- 875.1
- Engine
- Rotax 912UL, 80 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special); Special, Special flight (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 10, 2015
- Departed
- ISM · Orlando, FL
- Destination
- GIF · Winter Haven, FL
- Airport
- GIF · Winter Haven'S Gilbert
- Equipment
- Angle of attack indicator, Handheld GPS
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
- 62
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Last flight review
- June 6, 2015
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,662 total · 765 in this make and model · 1,473 as pilot in command · 34 in the last 90 days · 19 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 7,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.07 inHg
- Observed at
- KGIF
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 28, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.1 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.