MIA02LA155

NTSB accident investigation · Barnes Vans RV-6 · Chesnee, SC · August 21, 2002

Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
August 21, 2002, 19:30 local (23:30 UTC)
Place
Chesnee, SC
Injuries
1 serious
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N190TBBarnes Vans RV-6
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report April 1, 2003
Report
Approved by Office Director
Parties
FAA
Case key
55533

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

the pilot misjudged the landing flare, resulting in a hard landing, loss of directional control, and damage to the airplane.

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.

Hard landingLanding - flare/touchdown
Flare - misjudgedPilot in commandCause
Directional control - not maintainedPilot in commandCause
Recovery from bounced landing - improperPilot in command
On ground/water collision with objectLanding - roll
Object - tree(s)
Nose overLanding - aborted

Analysis

According to the pilot at touchdown the airplane hit the ground hard, and bounced high, and touched down a "second time." The pilot added full power to the engine and the airplane "veered to the left." The left wing struck some trees, and the airplane nosed over. The pilot was asked if the airplane had encountered any mechanical discrepancies, and he stated that it did not.

Factual narrative

On August 21, 2002, about 1930 eastern daylight time, a homebuilt Barnes Vans RV6, N190TB, registered to an individual, impacted with trees during an aborted landing at a private airstrip near Chesnee, South Carolina. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan was filed. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. The airplane was substantially damaged. The private-rated pilot reported serious injuries. The flight had departed from the State Line Ultraport, Chesnee, at 1900.

According to the pilot he had landed in an easterly direction at his private grass airstrip. The airstrip was about 1,300 feet in length, and has a hump in the middle. He attempted to land before the hump. He said at touchdown the airplane "bounced" and touched down a "second time." He added full power to the engine and the airplane "veered to the left." The left wing struck some trees, and then nosed over.

An interview with the pilot by an FAA inspector revealed that he flew the approach slow, about 65 knots, with full flaps, because he wanted to land before the hump in the runway. During the flare the nose would not come up any higher, so the airplane hit the ground hard, and bounced high. The FAA inspector asked the pilot if the airplane had encountered any mechanical discrepancies and the pilot stated that it did not.

Aircraft

Registration
N190TB
Reported as
Barnes Vans RV-6
Category
Airplane, amateur-built
Serial number
20282
Engine
Lycoming O-320-B3A, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Registered owner
Robert Kim Lawing
Airworthiness certificate
Special, Experimental (Special)
Last inspection
Annual · November 1, 2001 · 30 hours before
Departed
SC10 · Chesnee, SC
Destination
Chesnee, SC
Airport
NONE · Private, runway 090, 1,500 × 100 ft, grass/turf

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
54
Injuries
Serious
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
Seat
Left
Flight hours
1,600 total · 30 in this make and model

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
50° at 3 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
82 °F, dew point 68 °F
Altimeter
30.15 inHg
Observed at
KGSP, 23 nm away