- Date
- October 21, 2000, 10:50 local (14:50 UTC)
- Place
- Ridgeland, SC
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N545CMCraig R. Merrill Luton Beta
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 17, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20001021014979A
- Case key
- 50513
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 airspeed on final approach resulting in the aircraft settling fast, touching down hard, and colliding with an embankment on the side of the runway, where it came to rest inverted.
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 stated that during landing approach the aircraft settled faster than he anticipated and landed hard. The aircraft then bounced and went to the right where it went down an embankment and turned over inverted.
Factual narrative
On October 21, 2000, about 1050 eastern daylight time, a Craig R. Merrill Luton Beta, N545CM, registered to an individual, crashed during landing at Ridgeland Airport, Ridgeland, South Carolina, while on a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft received substantial damage and the private-rated pilot received minor injuries. The flight originated from Ridgeland, South Carolina, the same day, about 1040.
The pilot stated that after a short local flight, he returned to the airport and entered the pattern for a landing on runway 3. On final approach he set the attitude for landing and the aircraft settled quicker and faster than he anticipated. When the aircraft touched down, it bounced and went to the right. He attempted to apply engine power but it was too late. The aircraft went down the embankment on the right side of the runway and crashed, coming to rest inverted.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N545CM
- Reported as
- Craig R. Merrill Luton Beta
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 005
- Airframe hours
- 70
- Engine
- Revmaster 2100, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Craig R. Merrill
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 30, 2000 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- 3J1
- Airport
- 3J1 · Ridgeland, runway 3, 2,700 × 70 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
- 55
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 484 total · 70 in this make and model · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- NBC, 15 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.