- Date
- May 19, 2007, 14:50 local (19:50 UTC)
- Place
- Memphis, TN
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N234RXHanson Gerald Hanson Bucker 131E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 31, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20070519008659A
- Case key
- 65819
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 visual lookout that resulted in a collision with a lighting structure in the grass while landing. A factor in the accident was the pilot's intentional landing in the runway safety area.
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 airline transport pilot reported that the Hanson Bucker 131E amateur-built airplane performed "beautifully" during the local pleasure flight and as he maneuvered the airplane to land in the grass parallel to runway 35, a paved runway. At touchdown, the airplane struck the upwind set of visual approach slope indicator (VASI) lights, and nosed over. According to the airport manager, the airplane landed on the runway safety area, not a turf runway, and the VASI lights had been installed "for years."
Factual narrative
The airline transport pilot reported the Hanson Bucker 131E amateur-built airplane performed "beautifully" during the local pleasure flight and as he maneuvered the airplane to land in the grass parallel to runway 35, a paved runway. At touchdown, the airplane struck the upwind set of visual approach slope indicator (VASI) lights, and nosed over. According to the airport manager, the airplane landed on the runway safety area, not a turf runway, and the VASI lights had been installed "for years."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N234RX
- Reported as
- Hanson Gerald Hanson Bucker 131E
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 543
- Airframe hours
- 400
- Engine
- Avco Lycoming AE-10-360-B4A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Sonny Nivens
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special); Standard, Aerobatic
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · May 1, 2007
- Departed
- 2M8 · Millington, TN
- Destination
- M01 · Memphis, TN
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- M01 · General Dewitt Spain Airport, runway 35, 3,800 × 75 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
- 66
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight engineer, Private, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 1, 2007
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 25,000 total · 30 in this make and model · 40 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.22 inHg
- Observed at
- MEM, 9 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.