- Date
- July 3, 2016, 19:00 local (Jul 4, 2016, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- Cairo, NE
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N321WLRainbow Sky Reach Bushcat
- Defining event
- Landing: Nose over/nose down
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 31, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20160703018069A
- Case key
- 93529
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 decision to fly into deteriorating weather conditions, leading to a precautionary off airport soft field landing which resulted in a nose gear collapse and the airplane to nose over.
Findings · 5
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 he took off in meteorological conditions after being weathered in for two days. He further reported that while en route to the destination he encountered deteriorating weather conditions and opted to land at a nearby field to allow the weather to pass. The pilot reported that the terrain looked "manageable and smooth enough to land on", he landed using a soft field landing technique, but during the landing roll the nose wheel dug into the grassy terrain which resulted in a nose over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no pre impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. A review of the recorded data from the automated weather observation station located about 14 miles south east of the accident, revealed that, within about 10 minutes of the crash, the wind was 080 degrees true at 5 knots, visibility 5 statute miles, and overcast at 800 feet. The pilot reported that the lowest ceiling he encountered was 300 feet AGL. As a safety recommendation the pilot reported that he should not have let peer pressure allow him to change his own personal weather minimums.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he took off in meteorological conditions after being weathered in for two days. He further reported that while en route to the destination he encountered deteriorating weather conditions and opted to land at a nearby field to allow the weather to pass. The pilot reported that the terrain looked "manageable and smooth enough to land on", he landed using a soft field landing technique, but during the landing roll the nose wheel dug into the grassy terrain which resulted in a nose over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no pre impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. A review of the recorded data from the automated weather observation station located about 14 miles south east of the accident, revealed that, within about 10 minutes of the crash, the wind was 080 degrees true at 5 knots, visibility 5 statute miles, and overcast at 800 feet. The pilot reported that the lowest ceiling he encountered was 300 feet AGL. As a safety recommendation the pilot reported that he should not have let peer pressure allow him to change his own personal weather minimums.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N321WL
- Reported as
- Rainbow Sky Reach Bushcat
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- CH172B
- Built
- 2015
- Airframe hours
- 66
- Engine
- Rotax 912ULS, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 28, 2016
- Departed
- AUH · Aurora, NE
- Destination
- 0F4 · Loup City, NE
- Equipment
- Onboard weather, Handheld GPS, ADS-B
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 51
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Private, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 10, 2015
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 582 total · 395 in this make and model · 479 as pilot in command · 116 in the last 90 days · 56 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Student, Sport Pilot
- Medical
- Sport pilot, Unknown
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 95 total · 21 in the last 90 days · 21 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 800 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- KGRI, 14 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 2, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.3 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.