- Date
- June 30, 2016, 11:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Ely, NV
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9304RCessna U206
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 31, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA, Deptartment of Interior
- FAA report
- 20160630011059A
- Case key
- 93543
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 flight instructor's incorrect pitch control during the landing flare, which resulted in a tail strike.
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 flight instructor reported that during a public-use flight in a single-engine airplane, he was providing instruction to an airline transport pilot who was only rated for multi-engine airplanes. The flight instructor further reported that the pilot receiving instruction was the pilot flying and was "fast" on final approach. During the landing flare, the airplane ballooned and bounced once. After the bounce, the flight instructor applied aft flight control pressure because he believed the airplane was going to touch down nose wheel first. The subsequent landing roll was completed without further incident. After loading additional passengers, the flight instructor completed the return flight to their domicile without further incident. During a post-flight inspection damage was found to the tail hook and aft fuselage area. Further inspection revealed that the airplane sustained substantial damage to the aft bulkhead, which was likely the result of a tail strike during the bounced landing during the previous flight. The flight instructor reported that he did not hear the tail strike during the bounced landing and he did not inspect the empennage before departing for the terminating destination. The flight instructor did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor reported that during a public-use flight in a single-engine airplane, he was providing instruction to an airline transport pilot who was only rated for multi-engine airplanes. The flight instructor further reported that the pilot receiving instruction was the pilot flying and was "fast" on final approach. During the landing flare, the airplane ballooned and bounced once. After the bounce, the flight instructor applied aft flight control pressure because he believed the airplane was going to touch down nose wheel first. The subsequent landing roll was completed without further incident. After loading additional passengers, the flight instructor completed the return flight to their domicile without further incident. During a post-flight inspection damage was found to the tail hook and aft fuselage area. Further inspection revealed that the airplane sustained substantial damage to the aft bulkhead, which was likely the result of a tail strike during the bounced landing during the previous flight. The flight instructor reported that he did not hear the tail strike during the bounced landing and he did not inspect the empennage before departing for the terminating destination. The flight instructor did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9304R
- Reported as
- Cessna U206 (G)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- U20606830
- Built
- 1984
- Airframe hours
- 8,226.3
- Engine
- Teledyne Continental IO-520-F17B, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public aircraft - federal · Public use
- Operator
- United States Department Of Interior
- Registered owner
- United States Department Of Interior
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 1, 2015
- Departed
- BOI · Boise, ID
- Destination
- ELY · Ely, NV
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- ELY · Ely Arpt /Yelland Fld/, runway 18, 6,018 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Satellite tracking device, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 45
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 25, 2016
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 7,020 total · 50 in this make and model · 6,440 as pilot in command · 35 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 44
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 6, 2016
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 5,025 total · 18 in this make and model · 2,419 as pilot in command · 31 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.20 inHg
- Observed at
- KELY
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 16, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.0 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.