- Date
- June 30, 2019, 08:49 local (12:49 UTC)
- Place
- Stafford, VA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N748JSSKYBolt Smith Special Skybol
- Defining event
- Landing-aborted after touchdown: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 13, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20190630016739A
- Case key
- 99803
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 maintain the runway heading during an aborted go-around, which resulted in a hard landing.
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 landing, the biplane touched down right of the centerline, and the propeller struck the runway. He added power to go around, but the biplane drifted right, so he maneuvered it toward a grass field right of the runway and shut off the engine. He then leveled the biplane, and it subsequently landed hard, and the main landing gear collapsed. The biplane sustained substantial damage to the right-wing "I" strut. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the biplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The biplane pilot reported that, during landing, the airplane touched down right of the centerline and the propeller struck the runway. He added power to go-around, but the airplane drifted right, so he maneuvered the airplane to the grass field to the right of the runway and shut off the engine. He then leveled the airplane, the airplane landed hard, and the main landing gears collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right-wing "I" strut. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N748JS
- Reported as
- SKYBolt Smith Special Skybol (No Series)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- DJS001
- Built
- 2017
- Airframe hours
- 8.2
- Engine
- SC Motorstart VedeneyevM14p, 360 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · May 11, 2019
- Departed
- RMN · Stafford, VA
- Destination
- RMN · Stafford, VA
- Airport
- RMN · Stafford Rgnl, runway 33, 5,000 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B
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
- 70
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 8, 2017
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 2,823 total · 1.1 in this make and model · 2,713.1 as pilot in command · 13.8 in the last 90 days · 4.8 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 11,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.81 inHg
- Observed at
- RMN, 1 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 21, 2020, 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.