- Date
- July 30, 2007, 12:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Challis, ID
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N705BHFound Aircraft Canada FBA-2C1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 31, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20070730017589A
- Case key
- 66435
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 inadequate bounced landing recovery technique, which resulted in a hard landing.
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 airplane touched down hard during an aborted landing and collapsed the main landing gear. While on the final approach leg of the traffic pattern, about 150 feet above ground level (agl), the airplane encountered a downdraft. The pilot applied full power in an effort to arrest the descent. The airplane touched down and bounced. The pilot attempted to abort the landing by applying full power. As the airplane approached the trees at the end of the runway, he elected to land ahead rather than continue the climb and risk colliding with the trees. The airplane landed hard again, collapsing the main landing gear.
Factual narrative
On July 30, 2007, about 1200 mountain daylight time, a Found Aircraft Canada, Inc. FBA-2C1, N705BH, landed hard on a private dirt airstrip near Challis, Idaho. The pilot was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The private pilot and one passenger were not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The cross-country personal flight departed Mc Call Municipal Airport, Mc Call, Idaho, about 1100, with a planned destination of Challis. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan had been filed.
In a written report, the pilot stated that prior to landing he maneuvered the airplane around the proximity of the airport, in an attempt to assess the wind conditions. He noted variable winds at the surface. As the pilot continued onto the final approach leg of the traffic pattern, he configured the airplane with the flaps extended at an airspeed of 65 knots. At 150 feet above ground level (agl), the airplane encountered a downdraft. In an effort to slow the descent, the pilot applied full power. Prior to touching down on the airstrip, he reduced the power. The airplane landed hard and bounced. The pilot opted to abort the landing by applying full power and began retracting the flaps to 20 degrees.
The pilot further stated that as he approached the trees aligning the end of the runway, he noticed that the airplane appeared not to produce a sufficient climb rate that would enable the airplane to clear the terrain. He elected to land ahead and the airplane touched down hard, collapsing the main landing gear.
The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N705BH
- Reported as
- Found Aircraft Canada FBA-2C1
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 56
- Airframe hours
- 252
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-L1C5, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Puddlejumpers LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 1, 2006
- Departed
- MYL · Mc Call Muni, ID
- Destination
- Challis, ID
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- NONE · Private Airstrip, runway 21, 1,500 × 20 ft, dirt
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
- 67
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 1, 2006
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,760 total · 90 in this make and model · 5,760 as pilot in command · 131 in the last 90 days · 26 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Observed at
- LLJ, 19 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.