- Date
- May 24, 2017, 15:15 local (22:15 UTC)
- Place
- Perris, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N708PVDehavilland DHC 6
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 3, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170524015139A
- Case key
- 95231
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 prospective pilot’s improper landing flare and the pilot’s delayed remedial action to initiate a go-around, which resulted in a runway excursion.
Findings · 5
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 twin-engine, turbine-powered airplane reported that, while providing flights for skydivers throughout the day, he had a potential new hire pilot flying with him in the right seat. He added that, on the eighth flight of the day, the new pilot was flying during the approach and "approximately 200' [ft.] south from the threshold of [runway] 15 at approximately 15 feet AGL [above ground level] the bottom violently and unexpectedly dropped out. [He] believe[d] some kind of wind shear caused the aircraft [to] slam onto [the] runway and bounce into the air at a 45 to 60-degree bank angle to the right." The prospective pilot then said, "you got it." The pilot took control of the airplane and initiated a go-around by increasing power, which aggravated the "off runway heading." The right wing contacted the ground, the airplane exited the runway to the right and impacted a fuel truck, and the right wing separated from the airplane. The impact caused the pilot to unintentionally add max power, and the airplane, with only the left engine functioning, ground looped to the right, coming to rest nose down. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation system about 8 nautical miles from the accident site reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 280° at 7 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, few clouds at 20,000 ft agl, temperature 86°F, dew point 45°F, and altimeter 29.81 inches of mercury. The pilot landed on runway 15.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the twin-engine, turbine powered airplane reported that while providing flights for skydivers throughout the day, he had a potential new hire pilot flying with him in the right seat. He added that on the eighth flight of the day, the new pilot was flying during the approach and "approximately 200' [ft.] south from the threshold of [runway] 15 at approximately 15 feet AGL [above ground level] the bottom violently and unexpectedly dropped out. [He] believe[d] some kind of wind shear caused the aircraft [to] slam onto [the] runway and bounce into the air at a 45 to 60-degree bank angle to the right." The new pilot then said, "you got it". The pilot took the control and initiated a go around by increasing power which aggravated the "off runway heading". The right wing contacted the ground, the airplane exited the runway to the right, impacted a fuel truck and the right-wing separated from the airplane. The impact caused the pilot to unintentionally add max power and the airplane, with only the left engine functioning ground looped to the right, coming to rest nose down. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation system about 8 nautical miles from the accident site, about the time of the accident, reported the wind from 280° at 7 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, few clouds at 20,000 ft. AGL, temperature 86°F, dew point 45°F, and altimeter 29.81 in Hg. The pilot landed on runway 15.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N708PV
- Reported as
- Dehavilland DHC 6 (300)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 489
- Built
- 1976
- Airframe hours
- 37,885.7
- Engines
- Pratt & Whitney PT6A-27, 620 horsepower, turbo propPratt & Whitney PT6A-27, 620 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Skydiving · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 1, 2017
- Departed
- L65 · Perris, CA
- Destination
- L65 · Perris, CA
- Airport
- L65 · Perris Valley, runway 15, 5,100 × 50 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, ADS-B
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 56
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight engineer
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 23, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 3,358 total · 2,131 in this make and model · 3,198 as pilot in command · 31 in the last 90 days · 27 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 31
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 15, 2016
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 1,893 total · 12 in this make and model · 1,725 as pilot in command · 26 in the last 90 days · 24 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.80 inHg
- Observed at
- KRIV, 8 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 17, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.3 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.