- Date
- October 15, 2003, 15:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Fort Myers, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N710WLWilliam F. Lair RV-6A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 5, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20031015032389A
- Case key
- 58195
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 in command's improper recovery from a bounced landing, which resulted in a hard landing 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.
Analysis
The pilot stated that while practicing touch-and-go landings, the second landing was "somewhat abrupt", which caused the airplane to rebound in the air. He said he did not get engine power applied in sufficient time to prevent another "abrupt" touchdown, which caused the nose landing gear strut to collapse. According to the pilot, prior to the accident there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions to the airplane or any of its systems.
Factual narrative
On October 15, 2003, about 1500 eastern daylight time, a William F. Lair RV-6A, N710WL, registered to and operated by a private individual as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, made a hard landing at page Field, Fort Myers, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The commercial-rated pilot was not injured, and the airplane incurred substantial damage. The flight originated in Labelle, Florida, the same day, about 1440.
The pilot stated that while practicing landings at Page Field he made the first touch-and-go landing, and then remained closed traffic with the intent to perform another landing. He said that the second landing was "somewhat abrupt", which caused the airplane to rebound in the air, and he did not get engine power applied in sufficient time to prevent another "abrupt" touchdown, which caused the nose landing gear strut to collapse, and the airplane incurred damage to the firewall and the left wing. The pilot also stated that prior to the accident there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions to the airplane or any of its systems.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N710WL
- Reported as
- William F. Lair RV-6A
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 21016
- Airframe hours
- 200
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D1A, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Morris Florence T Trustee
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · May 1, 2003 · 200 hours before
- Departed
- LBV · Labelle, FL
- Destination
- FMY · Fort Myers, FL
- Airport
- FMY · Page Field, runway 05, 6,401 × 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
- 75
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- May 23, 2003
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,260 total · 6 in this make and model · 6 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 9 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.94 inHg
- Observed at
- FMY
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.