# NTSB LAX06LA229: Velocity 173/RG-XL, N992PC, Modesto, CA, July 11, 2006 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: July 11, 2006, 11:33 local (18:33 UTC) - Place: Modesto, CA - Coordinates: 37.631942, -120.957496 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.6319&lon=-120.9575&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report November 29, 2007 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 64118 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=LAX06LA229 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/64118/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX06LA229 ## Probable cause the pilot's misjudged flare and improper recovery from a bounced landing, which resulted in a hard landing and landing gear collapse. A contributing factor was the pilot/builder's inadequate adjustment of the landing gear cable tension. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Hard landing, landing - flare/touchdown - flare - misjudged, pilot in command (cause) - recovery from bounced landing - inadequate, pilot in command (cause) - Complete gear collapsed, landing - flare/touchdown - maintenance,service of aircraft/equipment - inadequate, owner/pilot mechanic (contributing factor) - landing gear,gear locking mechanism - unlocked (contributing factor) - landing gear - collapsed ## Analysis The landing gear collapsed during a touch-and-go landing. The pilot/builder explained that the airplane ballooned after initial touchdown due to too much elevator trim. The airplane then landed "very hard" farther down the runway. The landing gear collapsed, and the rudders sustained substantial damage after contacting the runway. The pilot/builder conducted maintenance on his airplane, and believed that he had set the landing gear extension/retraction cables too tight. Coupled with the hard landing, this caused the main gear over-center linkage to release from the over-center position. ## Factual narrative On July 11, 2006, about 1133 Pacific daylight time, an experimental Velocity 173/RG-XL, N992PC, had a landing gear collapse during a hard landing at Modesto City Airport, Modesto, California. The pilot/owner/builder was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The local personal flight departed Modesto about 1125. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The pilot planned to do a touch-and-go landing on 28L. He stated that the airplane ballooned after initial touchdown due to too much elevator trim. It began to fly again at approximately 57 miles per hour, which was under the stall speed of 63 miles per hour. The airplane then landed "very hard" farther down the runway. The gear collapsed; the rudders contacted the runway, and sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that the airplane had a total airframe time of 89 hours. It had an annual inspection on November 15, 2005, 9 hours prior to the accident. He said that a hydraulic actuator drives a set of cables, which move the landing gear extension/retraction mechanism. The cables attach to the main gear struts. The cables provide the force to extend the locking mechanism to the over-center position. The pilot/builder does the maintenance on the airplane, and had adjusted the cable tension several times. He surmised that he had the landing gear cables set too tight. Coupled with the hard landing, he felt that this caused the main gear over-center linkage to release from the over-center position. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N992PC](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N992PC), registered now, S/N 3RX045 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Velocity 173/RG-XL - Registry model: [Calhoun Paul VELOCITY 173/RG-XL](https://openairdocs.org/model/calhoun-paul-velocity-173-rg-xl) (registry code 056114D) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming IO-540 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-series) (registry code 41530, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane, amateur-built - Serial number: 3RX045 - Airframe hours: 89 - Engines: Lycoming IO-540-C 260 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: Annual, November 1, 2005, 9 hours before - Departed: MOD, Modesto, CA - Airport: MOD, Modesto City, runway 28L, 3,459 × 100 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 67; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; seat: left; flight hours: 1,140 total, 89 in this make and model, 1,039 as pilot in command, 7 in the last 90 days, 5 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 320° at 7 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 88 °F, dew point 54 °F - Altimeter: 30.04 inHg - Observed at: MOD ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20060711014369A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20060711014369A), Jul 11, 2006: VELOC173RGXL, Modesto, CA, Substantial damage. (-23) Airman was operating by himself his amt-home build velocity aircraft under 14 CFR part 91 at Modesto airport. The airman states that he had just had the… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.