- Date
- March 3, 2007, 11:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- San Diego, CA
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N78DHHirsch Thorp T-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 29, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20070303003929A
- Case key
- 65373
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 bounced landing recovery and improper use of the flight controls that resulted in a porpoise and a nose over.
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
The conventional gear airplane bounced two times after touchdown and nosed over. On the first bounce, the pilot added a small amount of power to allow the airplane to settle back onto the runway. However, the airplane bounced again, and he added full power in an attempt to go around and pushed forward on the control stick. The propeller then contacted the runway and the airplane nosed over. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight.
Factual narrative
On March 3, 2007, about 1100 Pacific standard time, an amateur built experimental Hirsch Thorp T-18, N78DH, nosed over during landing at Brown Field Municipal Airport (SDM), San Diego, California. The owner/pilot was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The private pilot and one passenger received minor injuries; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The local personal flight departed SDM about 1000. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The approximate global positioning system (GPS) coordinates of the primary wreckage were 32 degrees 34 minutes north latitude and 116 degrees 58 minutes west longitude.
The pilot operator stated in a written report that while landing on runway 8L the airplane bounced and became airborne. The pilot added a small amount of power and let the airplane settle back onto the runway. The airplane bounced again, and the pilot noticed that the airplane was close to the right edge of the runway. He applied full power and pushed forward on the control stick. The propeller struck the runway and the airplane nosed over.
The pilot stated that the airplane and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N78DH
- Reported as
- Hirsch Thorp T-18
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 125
- Airframe hours
- 1,778.4
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D25, 170 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · March 1, 2006 · 6 hours before
- Departed
- SDM · San Diego, CA
- Destination
- San Diego, CA
- Airport
- SDM · Brown Field Muni, runway 8L, 7,972 × 150 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
- 61
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 1, 2006
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 284 total · 4 in this make and model · 76 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.20 inHg
- Observed at
- SDM
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.