- Date
- March 1, 2017, 11:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Mercey Hot Springs, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N801SXSmith Douglas J. Sonex
- Defining event
- Landing: Landing area undershoot
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 22, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170301015039A
- Case key
- 94816
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 sport pilot’s unstabilized approach with a tailwind, which resulted in touchdown short of the runway and a subsequent nose-over.
Findings · 4
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 sport pilot reported that he was landing on an airfield and overflew the runway multiple times searching for a wind sock. He watched another airplane land to the south, and he made his approach to the south also. He reported that his altitude was too high during his first approach, so he aborted the landing. He asserted that, "This should have alerted me that there was a tailwind." He flew one traffic pattern and made a second approach with the power at idle and full flaps. He established his approach, but the airplane sank quickly and touched down short of the runway and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the canopy, the vertical stabilizer, and the rudder. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. According to the Airport Facility Directory, the airfield was equipped with a wind indicator. However, no wind indicator could be located on or near the airfield by the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge.
Factual narrative
The sport pilot reported that he was landing to an airfield and over flew the runway multiple times in search of a wind sock. He watched another airplane land to the south and he made his approach to the south also. He reported that his altitude was too high during his first approach and aborted the landing. He asserted that, "This should have alerted me that there was a tail wind." He flew one traffic pattern and made a second approach with the power at idle and full flaps. He established his approach but the airplane sank quickly and touched down short of the runway and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the canopy, the vertical stabilizer and the rudder. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. According to the Airport Facility Directory, the airfield is equipped with a wind indicator. However, no wind indicator could be located on or near the airfield by the NTSB investigator-in-charge.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N801SX
- Reported as
- Smith Douglas J. Sonex (Ltd.)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 0801
- Built
- 2008
- Airframe hours
- 527.6
- Engine
- Jabiru 3300A, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · February 23, 2017
- Departed
- 069 · Petaluma, CA
- Destination
- CN22 · Firebaugh, CA
- Airport
- CN22 · Mercey Hot Springs, runway 15, 2,082 × 30 ft, dirt
- Equipment
- 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
- 78
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Sport Pilot
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Last flight review
- January 12, 2016
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 262.5 total · 58.5 in this make and model · 191 as pilot in command · 5.5 in the last 90 days · 2.5 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.40 inHg
- Observed at
- KCVH, 29 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 30, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.0 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.