- Date
- August 8, 2008, 14:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Sterling, MA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4923NBoeing E75
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 26, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20080808849399A
- Case key
- 68675
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 owner/pilot's improper flare. Contributing to the accident was the pilot-in-command's inadequate remedial action.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
At its home airport, a Boeing E75 was purposely landed in the grass adjacent to the runway. The airplane touched down hard, the left main landing gear strut separated from the airplane, the right main landing gear strut bent, the propeller struck the ground, and the lower left wing spar broke. Their were no injuries to the owner/pilot who was flying the airplane from the rear cockpit, or his friend, who according to the owner, was acting as pilot-in-command since his flight review was "expired."
Factual narrative
At its home airport, a Boeing E75 was purposely landed in the grass adjacent to the runway. The airplane touched down hard, the left main landing gear strut separated from the airplane, the right main landing gear strut bent, the propeller struck the ground, and the lower left wing spar broke. Their were no injuries to the owner/pilot who was flying the airplane from the rear cockpit, or his friend, who according to the owner, was acting as pilot-in-command since his flight review was "expired."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4923N
- Reported as
- Boeing E75
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 75-8216
- Airframe hours
- 6,456.4
- Engine
- Continental W670, 220 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 2008
- Departed
- 3B3 · Sterling, MA
- Destination
- 3B3
- Airport
- 3B3 · Sterling Airport, runway 34, 3,086 × 40 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 82
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 1, 2004
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 620 total · 620 in this make and model
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 55
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 1, 2007
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,499 total · 160 in this make and model · 1,357 as pilot in command · 29 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.63 inHg
- Observed at
- FIT, 8 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.
Other investigations on N4923N · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.