- Date
- May 23, 2004, 10:40 local (17:40 UTC)
- Place
- Boulder City, NV
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N767GSGlenn L Smith RV-8
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 1, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20040523008169A
- Case key
- 59373
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 directional control of the airplane. Contributing to the accident was a sudden wind shift.
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 roll the airplane veered off the right side of the runway and struck a runway distance remaining sign. The UNICOM airport advisory reported winds as 120 degrees, variable 10 to 15 knots with gusts, and landing on runway 9R. The pilot visually checked the windsock and noted it indicating southeasterly. He made an uneventful tail wheel landing on runway 9R. As the airplane's speed reached 45 knots during the landing roll, a strong gust of wind pushed the airplane to the right. Despite left rudder, left brake, and left aileron inputs, the airplane continued to veer to the right.
Factual narrative
On May 23, 2004, at 1040 Pacific daylight time, a Smith RV-8, N767GS, collided with an object during the landing roll at Boulder City Municipal Airport, Boulder City, Nevada. The pilot/owner was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The airline transport pilot and single passenger were not injured, and the airplane was substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The local flight originated at Boulder City at 1010.
The pilot stated in the Pilot/Operator Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2) that he was returning to the airport after a quick maintenance flight. The Boulder City UNICOM airport advisory reported winds as 120 degrees, variable 10 to 15 knots with gusts, and landing on runway 9R. The pilot visually checked the windsock and noted it indicating southeasterly. He made an uneventful tail wheel landing on runway 9R. As the airplane's speed reached 45 knots during the landing roll, a strong gust of wind pushed the airplane to the right. Despite left rudder, left brake, and left aileron inputs, the airplane continued to veer to the right. The airplane veered off the right side of the runway and struck a runway distance remaining sign.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N767GS
- Reported as
- Glenn L Smith RV-8
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 81074
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A1B6, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Glenn L Smith
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- K61B · Boulder City, NV
- Destination
- K61B · Boulder City, NV
- Airport
- K61B · Boulder City Municipal, runway 9R
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
- 65
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor, Commercial, Flight engineer
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2
- Flight hours
- 17,273 total · 324 in this make and model · 82 in the last 90 days · 32 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.