- Date
- August 11, 2002, 12:55 local (19:55 UTC)
- Place
- Laconia, NH
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N55RKMenzies Glassair II
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 26, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20020811017479A
- Case key
- 55438
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 recovery from a bounced landing and his failure to maintain directional control.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
During the landing, the airplane bounced, then settled onto the runway with the tailwheel "off center." As it touched down, the airplane began to veer to the right, and the pilot added left rudder. The airplane continued off the right side of the runway and came to rest about 200 yards away. There were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Factual narrative
On August 11, 2002, at 1255 eastern daylight time, a homebuilt Glassair II, N55RK, was substantially damaged during a landing at Laconia Municipal Airport (LCI), Laconia, New Hampshire. The certificated private pilot and the passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The pilot stated that he performed a "normal" approach to runway 26. During the landing, the airplane bounced, then settled onto the runway with the tailwheel "off center." As it touched down, the airplane began to veer to the right, and the pilot added left rudder. The airplane continued off the right side of the runway and came to rest about 200 yards away.
The pilot reported that he did not apply any right rudder prior to the landing, and may have landed in a "3-point attitude." He also reported no mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that the fuselage was twisted, and damage was noted to the landing gear and propeller.
Weather reported at Laconia, at 1255, included winds from 220 degrees at 6 knots, sky clear, temperature 87 degrees Fahrenheit, dew point 54 degrees Fahrenheit, and barometric pressure 30.05 inches Hg.
The pilot reported 1,000 hours of total flight experience on his most recent FAA third class medical, issued on July 7, 2001.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N55RK
- Reported as
- Menzies Glassair II
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- TD2020
- Engine
- Lycoming I0360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- David Menzies
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- LCI · Laconia, NH
- Destination
- LCI
- Airport
- LCI · Laconia Municipal, runway 26, 5,286 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- 55
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- January 29, 2001
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,000 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- LCI
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 24, 2003, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 377 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.