- Date
- July 30, 2017, 17:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Lawrenceburg, TN
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N616JJJames D Riggs RV-10
- Defining event
- Landing: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 14, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170730012689A
- Case key
- 95745
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 failure to maintain yaw control during a go-around in gusting wind conditions.
Findings · 6
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, the airplane encountered wind shear and landed hard. He added that, during the bounce, he applied power to go around, but the airplane yawed to the left "severely." The pilot added right rudder and reduced power to abort the takeoff in an attempt to land back on the runway. The airplane was "about 6 ft. [above ground level]" and continued left, and the left wing impacted a ditch. Subsequently, the propeller struck the ground, the airplane rotated 180°, and the airplane came to rest. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. There were no nearby National Weather Service reporting stations. An online commercial weather service provider reported that a nearby station reported, about the time of the accident, wind from 315° at 1.6 mph, gusting to 3.4 mph. The pilot reported sky clear, visibility 10+, temperature 74°F, and altimeter setting 29.90 inches of mercury, and he observed the wind direction from 270° at a light-and-variable speed, gusting to 7 knots. The airplane landed on runway 35.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that, during the landing flare, the airplane encountered windshear and landed hard. He added that during the bounce, he applied power to go around, but the airplane yawed to the left "severely". The pilot added right rudder and reduced power to abort the takeoff in an attempt to land back on the runway. The airplane "about 6 ft. [above ground level]" continued left and the left wing impacted a ditch. Subsequently, the propeller struck the ground, the airplane rotated 180°, and the airplane came to rest. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. There were no nearby National Weather Service reporting stations. An online commercial weather service provider reported that a nearby station, about the time of the accident, reported wind from 315° @ 1.6 mph, gusting 3.4 mph. The pilot reported sky clear, visibility 10+, temperature 74?, altimeter 29.90, and he observed the wind direction from 270° at a light and variable speed, gusting to 7 knots. The airplane landed on runway 35.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N616JJ
- Reported as
- James D Riggs RV-10 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 40853
- Built
- 2012
- Airframe hours
- 70
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540, 289 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · July 30, 2017
- Departed
- 2M2 · Lawrenceburg, TN
- Destination
- 2M2 · Lawrenceburg, TN
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- 2M2 · Lawrenceburg-Lawrence County, runway 35, 5,003 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Auto-pilot, ADS-B, Stall warning system, Handheld GPS, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display
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
- 68
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 15, 2015
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 605 total · 70 in this make and model · 4 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- KMRC, 19 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 20, 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.