- Date
- November 24, 2017, 08:00 local (13:00 UTC)
- Place
- Northampton, MA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N876MBAveko Sro VL-3C-1
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 5, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20171124021959A
- Case key
- 96403
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, which resulted in a loss of directional control and subsequent impact with approach lighting.
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
According to the pilot, during the landing flare the airplane was fast, and he tried to bleed off the airspeed by applying back pressure, but the airplane ballooned. Upon touchdown the airplane porpoised, after which, the airplane veered to the left and exited the left side of the runway. The airplane impacted the visual approach slope indicator lights that were located on the left side of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, during the landing flare the airplane was fast, and he tried to bleed off the airspeed by applying back pressure, but the airplane ballooned. Upon touch down the airplane porpoised, after which, the airplane veered to the left and exited the left side of the runway. The airplane impacted the visual approach slope indicator lights that were located on the left side of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N876MB
- Reported as
- Aveko Sro VL-3C-1 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- VL-3-29
- Built
- 2009
- Airframe hours
- 142.5
- Engine
- Rotax 912 ULS, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 15, 2017
- Departed
- KCEF · Chicopee, MA
- Destination
- 7B2 · Northampton, MA
- Airport
- 7B2 · Northampton, runway 14, 3,335 × 50 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic primary flight display, Stall warning system, Airframe parachute, Auto-pilot, 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
- 54
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Sport Pilot
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 15, 2015
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 156.3 total · 17.1 in this make and model · 129.5 as pilot in command · 3.5 in the last 90 days · 1.5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 25 °F, dew point 23 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Observed at
- KCEF, 8 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 7, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.2 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.