# NTSB GAA16LA135: Pinkston Randy T RV-7, N705RP, Tavernier, FL, February 18, 2016 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: February 18, 2016, 18:15 local (23:15 UTC) - Place: Tavernier, FL - Coordinates: 25.001667, -80.536941 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=25.0017&lon=-80.5369&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Approach-VFR pattern final: Miscellaneous/other](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/900) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report October 3, 2016 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: General Aviation Accidents - Parties: FAA South Florida FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 92753 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=GAA16LA135 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/92753/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=92753 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA16LA135 ## Probable cause The pilot's misidentification of a parallel roadway for the runway and the airplane's subsequent collision with numerous objects during landing. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Knowledge: knowledge of geographic area](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02032030): Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Pinkston Randy T RV-7A, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02032030/cases.md?model=056195M), [All aircraft, 24 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02032030/cases.md) - [Perception/orientation/illusion: situational awareness](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02022035): Personnel issues › Psychological · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Pinkston Randy T RV-7A, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02022035/cases.md?model=056195M), [All aircraft, 111 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02022035/cases.md) - [Planning/preparation: flight planning/navigation](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061025): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Pinkston Randy T RV-7A, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061025/cases.md?model=056195M), [All aircraft, 179 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061025/cases.md) - [Light condition: low light](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03036015): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Effect on personnel; cases with it: [Pinkston Randy T RV-7A, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03036015/cases.md?model=056195M), [All aircraft, 36 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03036015/cases.md) - [Object/animal/substance: wire](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022032): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Contributed to outcome; cases with it: [Pinkston Randy T RV-7A, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022032/cases.md?model=056195M), [All aircraft, 588 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022032/cases.md) - [Object/animal/substance: pole](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022010): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Contributed to outcome; cases with it: [Pinkston Randy T RV-7A, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022010/cases.md?model=056195M), [All aircraft, 142 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022010/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Approach-VFR pattern final: Miscellaneous/other](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/900) (defining event); cases with it: [Pinkston Randy T RV-7A, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/900/sequence.md?model=056195M), [All aircraft, 1,556 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/900/sequence.md) - [Landing-landing roll: Collision during takeoff/land](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490); cases with it: [Pinkston Randy T RV-7A, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490/sequence.md?model=056195M), [All aircraft, 1,309 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490/sequence.md) ## Analysis The private pilot was landing the experimental, amateur-built airplane at a residential airpark. Immediately following the accident, a state trooper interviewed the pilot, who stated that the landing was his first one at the residential airpark and that he thought that the side road was the runway. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical or weather issues as he was attempting to land. The airplane struck three mailboxes, a basketball hoop, phone lines, and a car and then came to rest inverted. In a later statement, the pilot reported that, during landing, he noticed a car off the side of the runway on a parallel access road. He was concerned with the proximity of the car to his intended landing area, and he executed a go-around. With dusk approaching, he decided to make an "abbreviated" traffic pattern and "circle back around" to land on the runway. He applied full power, began the turn, and reported that the engine "backfired." The airplane did not climb normally, and as the pilot turned the airplane, it was unable to gain sufficient altitude for the pilot to maintain sight of the runway. Given the pilot's statement, it is likely that he misidentified the parallel access road for the runway and, upon landing, hit multiple obstacles. ## Factual narrative On February 18, 2016 about 1815 eastern standard time, an experimental amateur-built Van's RV-7A airplane, N705RP, landed on a roadway and nosed over near the Tavernaero Park Airport (FA81) in Tavernier, Florida. The private pilot sustained no injuries. The airplane was registered to BBK Aircraft LLC, Sherrills Ford, North Carolina, and operated by the pilot as a dusk, visual flight rules personal flight under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from the Marco Island Airport (MKY) in Marco Island, Florida, about 1745. The pilot reported he was conducting an approach to runway 8 when he noticed a car off the side of the runway on a parallel access road. He reported that he was concerned with the proximity of the car to his intended landing area and he executed a go-around. With dusk approaching, he made the decision to make an "abbreviated" traffic pattern and "circle back around" to land on the runway. He applied full power, began the turn, and reported that the engine "backfired." He reported that the airplane was not "climbing normally" and as he made his turn, he was unable to gain sufficient altitude to maintain sight of the runway. The pilot reported that he circled back to the runway heading and viewed what he believed were the homes along the side of the runway threshold. He reported that the airplane was still unable to climb, but he anticipated that the runway would appear after he had cleared a small block of homes. He further reported that when the runway did not appear, and without the airplane being able to climb, he committed to landing on a road which was two blocks south of and parallel to the runway. During the landing roll, the airline impacted a three mail boxes, a basketball hoop, a couple of residential telephone lines, and a car and then came to rest upside-down in a bush. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, the fuselage, the rudder, the firewall, and the engine mounts. In a written statement to the National Transportation Safety Board, a Florida State Trooper who responded to the scene of the accident reported in part that, about 6:38 pm, he was dispatched to an aircraft crash on Plantation Ave in Tavernier. Upon his arrival, he observed a yellow and white airplane bearing the tail number N705RP upside down in a driveway. He identified the pilot by his pilot license. The pilot was standing by a crowd of people uninjured, and the pilot reported that he had been the only person on the airplane. The trooper reported that he asked the pilot what happened, and the pilot responded ,"This is my first time down here at this landing strip and I thought that the side road (Plantation Ave) was the runway". The pilot further told the trooper that there were no mechanical or weather issues as he was attempting to land. The photographs of the wreckage provided by theFederal Aviation Administration showed that the airplane came to rest upside-down in a bush in a residential area. Both wings and the rudder sustained substantial damage from impact. The airframe and engine were not examined by the National Transportation Safety Board. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N705RP](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N705RP-2016-06-21), registration cancelled 2016-06-21, S/N 70305, built 2005 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PINKSTON RANDY T RV-7 (A) - Registry model: [Pinkston Randy T RV-7A](https://openairdocs.org/model/pinkston-randy-t-rv-7a) (registry code 056195M) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Amateur-built UNKNOWN ENG](https://openairdocs.org/engine/amateur-built-unknown-eng) (registry code 99999) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane, amateur-built - Serial number: 70305 - Year built: 2005 - Airframe hours: 1032.3 - Engines: Mattituck TMX-O-360-A1A 180 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: Condition, June 28, 2015 - Departed: MKY, MARCO ISLAND, FL - Destination: FA81, TAVERNIER, FL - Airport: FA81, Tavernaero Park, runway 08, 2,175 × 95 ft, grass/turf - Equipment: ADS-B, Auto-pilot, Electronic primary flight display ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 59; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; last flight review April 2, 2015; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 614 total, 74 in this make and model, 614 as pilot in command, 5 in the last 90 days, 5 in the last 30 days, 0.5 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Dusk - Wind: 40° at 13 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 72 °F, dew point 59 °F - Altimeter: 30.22 inHg - Observed at: KHST, 30 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20160218001179A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20160218001179A), Feb 18, 2016: Pinkston Randy T RV-7A, Tavernier, FL, Destroyed. Pilot was planning for a landing on runway 8 at FA81, Tavernier park airport, but mistook planation avenue for runway at FA81, Tavernier park airport. Pilot… ## Docket (2 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 21, 2016, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=92753. 3.8 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 2.6 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40442513&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF - Accident Photographs (Courtesy of FAA) (item 2, .PDF, 3 photos, 1.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40442514&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Accident%20Photographs%20(Courtesy%20of%20FAA)-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.