- Date
- September 2, 2008, 15:20 local (19:20 UTC)
- Place
- Toughkenamon, PA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N69RVSteppling RV-6A
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Landing gear collapse
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 22, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20080902849789A
- Case key
- 68856
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 improper recovery from a bounced landing.
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
According to the pilot of an amateur-built RV-6A, he experienced a "slight" crosswind from the right while on final approach to the 3,695-foot-long, 50-foot-wide asphalt runway. During the landing flare, the airplane unexpectedly "dropped" and impacted the runway. The airplane then bounced several times, and the nose landing gear collapsed during the last bounce. The airplane continued off the end of the runway and flipped over, resulting in substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The pilot reported no mechanical anomalies with the airplane. The winds reported at the closest airport (13 miles to the southeast) at the time of the accident were variable at 3 knots.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot of an amateur-built RV-6A, he experienced a "slight" crosswind from the right while on final approach to the 3,695-foot-long, 50-foot wide asphalt runway. During the landing flare, the airplane unexpectedly "dropped," and impacted the runway. The airplane then bounced several times, and the nose landing gear collapsed during the last bounce. The airplane continued off the end of the runway and flipped over, resulting in substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The pilot reported 257 hours of total flight experience, 145 of which were in make and model. He also reported no mechanical anomalies with the airplane. The winds reported at the closest airport, 13 miles to the southeast, at the time of the accident, were variable at 3 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N69RV
- Reported as
- Steppling RV-6A
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 23756
- Airframe hours
- 630
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Mark Goodman
- Registered owner
- 69 Rv Partnership
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · October 1, 2007
- Departed
- N57 · Toughkenamon, PA
- Destination
- N57 · Toughkenamon, PA
- Airport
- N57 · New Garden Airport, runway 24, 3,695 × 50 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
- 51
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 1, 2007
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 257 total · 145 in this make and model · 137 as pilot in command · 28 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- ILG, 13 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.