- Date
- October 29, 1995, 12:35 local (20:35 UTC)
- Place
- Adelanto, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N14MRRussell KR-2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 21, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19951029034979A
- Case key
- 29328
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 misjudgement of the height above touchdown and his premature flare, 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 pilot was making touch-and-go landings and said that on his last approach he came in a little fast. He flared at about 5 feet above the runway and the aircraft bounced on touchdown. He recovered from the bounced landing but when he touched down again, the main gear collapsed. The aircraft impacted the runway and then slid off the left side. An inspection revealed that the shear bolts holding the main gear down locks had separated.
Factual narrative
On October 29, 1995, at 1235 hours Pacific standard time, an experimental Russell, KR-2, N14MR, collided with the runway while landing at Southern California International Airport, Adelanto, California. The aircraft sustained substantial damage; however, the private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The aircraft was being operated as a personal flight by the pilot/owner when the accident occurred. The flight originated in Adelanto at 1200. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan had been filed.
The pilot stated that he had been in the traffic pattern making touch-and-go landings on runway 21. On his last approach he said he was "a little fast" and flared at about 5 feet above the runway and then bounced when the aircraft touched down. He recovered from the bounced landing and landed. During the second touchdown the main gear collapsed and the aircraft impacted the runway.
According to a witness, the aircraft took off on runway 21 and remained in the traffic pattern. The aircraft touched down about midfield, at which time the main gear collapsed and the aircraft slid off the left side of the runway.
An FAA airworthiness inspector reported that the aircraft sustained damage to the main wings, propeller, carburetor and air box, engine cowling, and main gear shear joints. The inspection revealed that the shear bolts holding the main gear down locks had separated.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N14MR
- Reported as
- Russell KR-2
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 7709
- Airframe hours
- 4
- Engine
- Volkswagen 1835 CC, 60 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Carl Vance Hedberg
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 7, 1995 · 4 hours before
- Departed
- VCV
- Airport
- VCV · Southern California Intl, runway 21, 9,136 × 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
- 38
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 132 total · 3 in this make and model · 42 as pilot in command · 3 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- EDW, 38 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.