- Date
- September 4, 1994, 19:05 local (23:05 UTC)
- Place
- Akron, OH
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4327VDonald E. Kovol Quickie 2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 2, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 38824
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 failure of the pilot to maintain airspeed which resulted in an inadequate flare and a hard landing. A factor was the pilot's lack of experience in 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
This was the initial test flight for the homebuilt airplane and the pilot's first flight in type. The pilot intended to lift off and then land straight ahead on the runway after 5 to 10 seconds of flight. The takeoff was uneventful. When the pilot reduced power to land, the airplane settled faster than the pilot expected. In a written report he said, 'too slow for landing - dropped onto runway approx 8 feet altitude.' The right canard/landing gear was fractured. The propeller contacted the runway.
Factual narrative
On September 4, 1994, at 1905 eastern daylight time, a Quickie 2, N4327V, owned and operated by Mr. Donald E. Kovol, of Stow, Ohio, made a hard landing at the Akron-Fulton County Airport, Akron, Ohio. The airplane received substantial damage and the pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the flight operated under 14 CFR Part 91.
In a telephone interview, the pilot reported this was the initial test flight of the airplane. The plan was to become airborne, and then touchdown on the runway after 5 to 10 seconds of flight. The airplane became airborne on runway 25 without incident, however, when he retarded the power to land, the airplane settled faster than he expected. In the NTSB Accident Report, the pilot said, "... Too slow for landing - dropped onto runway from approx 8 feet altitude." The right canard/landing gear was fractured, and the propeller contacted the runway. The airplane stopped on the runway. The pilot reported the winds as 4 knots and straight down the runway.
In the NTSB Accident Report From, the private pilot reported his total time as 96 hours with no time in the Quickie 2. He had 6 hours in the preceding 90 days, all in a Cessna 172. He had ground taxied the airplane for 14 hours.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4327V
- Reported as
- Donald E. Kovol Quickie 2
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 2282
- Engine
- Revmaster 2100D, 64 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- Donald E. Koval
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Airport
- AKR · Akron-Fulton Co. Arpt, runway 7, 5,998 × 150 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 48
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 96 total · 96 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CA, 7 nm away