- Date
- October 29, 2017, 10:52 local (14:52 UTC)
- Place
- Berlin, NH
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N401HKEvolution Revo
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 14, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20171029021839A
- Case key
- 96270
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 center the ground steering before landing, which resulted in a loss of directional control.
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 weight-shift aircraft reported that he was practicing touch-and-go landings. When the aircraft touched down, it veered to the left because he did not have the ground steering centered before touchdown. The pilot initiated a go-around; however, the aircraft collided with an airport ramp sign. The weight-shift aircraft sustained substantial damage to the wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the weight-shift aircraft that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the weight-shift aircraft reported that he was practicing touch-and-go landings. When the aircraft touched down, it veered to the left because he did not have the ground steering centered before touchdown. The pilot initiated a go-around, however the aircraft collided with an airport ramp sign. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the gyroplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N401HK
- Reported as
- Evolution Revo (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Weight-shift
- Serial number
- 000623
- Built
- 2017
- Engine
- Rotax ULS, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 2017
- Departed
- BML · Berlin, NH
- Destination
- BML · Berlin, NH
- Airport
- BML · Berlin Rgnl, runway 36, 5,200 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display, Airframe parachute
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
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Last flight review
- October 6, 2017
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 657 total · 50 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.92 inHg
- Observed at
- KBML
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 19, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 990 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.