- Date
- April 6, 2018, 12:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Caldwell, ID
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N66PBCarr B L RV 4
- Defining event
- Landing: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 24, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180406003359A
- Case key
- 97000
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 failure of the weld on the airplane’s left main landing gear axle support strut during landing, which resulted in a loss of directional control.
Findings · 2
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 in the experimental, amateur-built airplane, during landing, the airplane bounced, and the pilot added power. The airplane landed on the runway, but the left side of the airplane "dropped" to the ground. The airplane exited the left side of the runway where it came to rest. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the horizontal stabilizer. The Federal Aviation Administration aviation safety inspector that examined the airplane reported that the weld on the left main landing gear axle support strut had failed with some signs of overload.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot in the experimental amateur-built airplane, during landing the airplane bounced and the pilot added power. The airplane landed on the runway, but the left side of the airplane "dropped" to the ground. The airplane exited the left side of the runway where it came to rest. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the horizontal stabilizer. The Federal Aviation Administration, Aviation Safety Inspector that examined the airplane reported that the weld on the left main landing gear axle support strut had failed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N66PB
- Reported as
- Carr B L RV 4 (UNDESIGNAT)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 2953
- Built
- 1995
- Airframe hours
- 666.9
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 1, 2018
- Departed
- ID40 · Melba, ID
- Destination
- EUL · Caldwell, ID
- Airport
- EUL · Caldwell Industrial, runway 12, 5,500 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- None
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, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 17, 2017
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 868 total · 340 in this make and model · 687 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,800 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.92 inHg
- Observed at
- KEUL
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 28, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.1 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.
Other investigations on N66PB · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.