- Date
- May 5, 2017, 18:13 local (23:13 UTC)
- Place
- Wellington, KS
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7854MAdrian George W Europa Classic
- Defining event
- Landing: Aerodynamic stall/spin
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 5, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170505009179A
- Case key
- 95148
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 improper landing flare and exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during landing, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
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 pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during the landing, "about 4-6 ft" above the runway, the airspeed decreased, and the airplane aerodynamically stalled. He added that the airplane landed hard, veered off the runway to the right, and came to rest with the nose down. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that during the landing, "about 4-6 ft." above the runway, the airspeed decreased and the airplane aerodynamically stalled. He added that the airplane landed hard, veered off the runway to the right, and came to rest with the nose down. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7854M
- Reported as
- Adrian George W Europa Classic (UNDESIGNAT)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- A034
- Built
- 2003
- Airframe hours
- 132.8
- Engine
- Jabiru 3300A, 120 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · June 19, 2016
- Departed
- EGT · Wellington, KS
- Destination
- EGT · Wellington, KS
- Airport
- EGT · Wellington Muni, runway 35, 4,201 × 100 ft, concrete
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Auto-pilot, Electronic primary flight display, 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
- 66
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 22, 2015
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 109 total · 12 in this make and model · 109 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.97 inHg
- Observed at
- WLD, 19 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 13, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.0 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.