- Date
- November 25, 2018, 13:20 local (21:20 UTC)
- Place
- Porterville, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N66710Beech C23
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 26, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20181125017639A
- Case key
- 98678
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 an abnormal landing and subsequent porpoise.
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
The pilot reported that, during the landing flare, the airplane touched down on the main landing gear and ballooned a few feet off the ground. Subsequently, the airplane porpoised, the nosewheel collapsed, and the airplane came to rest nose down on the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the engine mount. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that, during the landing flare the airplane touched down on the main gear and ballooned a few feet off the ground. Subsequently, the airplane porpoised, the nose wheel collapsed, and the airplane came to rest nose down on the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the engine mount. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N66710
- Reported as
- Beech C23
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- M-2387
- Built
- 1983
- Airframe hours
- 6,109
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4K, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 20, 2017
- Departed
- PTV · Porterville, CA
- Destination
- PTV · Porterville, CA
- Airport
- PTV · Porterville Muni, runway 30, 5,960 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Angle of attack indicator, Stall warning system
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
- 71
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 22, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 242 total · 220 in this make and model · 132 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.05 inHg
- Observed at
- KPTV
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 14, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.4 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.