- Date
- February 11, 2017, 17:40 local (22:40 UTC)
- Place
- Punta Gorda, FL
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N289MNNielsen Martin M Challenger II
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 20, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170211001639A
- Case key
- 94709
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 failure to maintain directional control during landing.
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 reported that, during the landing flare, while on his second landing attempt, the airplane began to sink rapidly, and the right wing dropped. He applied right rudder and power in an attempt to maintain directional control but was unsuccessful. The airplane settled in the bushes to the left of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that, during the landing flare, while on his second landing attempt, the airplane began to sink rapidly and the right wing dropped. He applied right rudder and power in an attempted to maintain directional control, but was unsuccessful. The airplane settled in the bushes to the left of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N289MN
- Reported as
- Nielsen Martin M Challenger II
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 2089
- Built
- 2015
- Airframe hours
- 22.3
- Engine
- Rotax 503 DCDI, 53 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 6, 2016
- Departed
- PGD · Punta Gorda, FL
- Destination
- PGD · Punta Gorda, FL
- Airport
- PGD · Punta Gorda, runway 22, 7,193 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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
- 65
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 7, 2016
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 24,687 total · 23 in this make and model · 13,000 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 2 knots
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Observed at
- VILK, 40 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 22, 2017, 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.