- Date
- April 9, 2017, 11:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Avalon, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N54EBCostruzioni Aeronautiche Tecna P2004 Bravo
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 20, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170409003739A
- Case key
- 94981
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 the runway heading and the improper landing flare 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, just before touchdown, a wind gust lifted the right wing and drifted the airplane to the left of the runway. He added that the airplane touched down and ballooned in a nose-high attitude. The pilot added power and lowered the nose "to prevent a stall," and the airplane landed hard. The left wingtip struck the ground, and airplane came to rest in the grass to the left of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that the wind was light and variable.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that just before touchdown a gust of wind lifted the right wing and drifted the airplane to the left of the runway. He added that the airplane touched down and ballooned in a nose high attitude. The pilot added power and lowered the nose "to prevent a stall" and the airplane landed hard. The left wingtip struck the ground and airplane came to rest in the grass to the left of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported on the NTSB 6120.1 form that the wind was light and variable.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N54EB
- Reported as
- Costruzioni Aeronautiche Tecna P2004 Bravo (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 029
- Built
- 2005
- Airframe hours
- 359.4
- Engine
- Rotax 912ULS, 100 lbs thrust, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 24, 2017
- Departed
- OKB · Oceanside, CA
- Destination
- AVX · Avalon, CA
- Airport
- AVX · Catalina, runway 22, 3,000 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 64
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 28, 2016
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 130 total · 7 in this make and model · 55 as pilot in command · 21 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Observed at
- KTOA, 24 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 19, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 854 KB 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.