- Date
- February 2, 1997, 10:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- York, PA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N42BNBerry Vans RV-4
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 31, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970202001029A
- Case key
- 39324
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 delay in initiating a go-around, and his failure to maintain airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/mush and contact with the terrain.
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/owner of a homebuilt Vans RV-4 airplane flew to his destination airport. He stated that he entered the down wind traffic pattern for landing, and observed an airplane on the taxiway, short of the runway. When he turned from base to final approach, the airplane on the ground taxied onto the runway. The RV-4 pilot elected to do 'S' turns to give the airplane on the runway time to depart, but it remained on the runway, so the RV-4 pilot initiated a go-around. Power was applied, and the wings were leveled, but the airplane continued to descend and contacted the ground. The airplane was damaged during ground contact, but it became airborne again and continued flying. The pilot then landed without further incident.
Factual narrative
On February 2, 1997, at 1030 eastern standard time, a homebuilt, Vans RV-4, N42BN, was substantially damaged when it struck the ground during a go-around at the York Airport (THV), York, Pennsylvania. The certificated commercial pilot and passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight that originated at Westminster, Maryland, about 1000. No flight plan had been filed for the flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
In the pilot's written statement, he said that he entered the down wind traffic pattern for landing on runway 34, and observed an airplane on the taxiway, short of the runway. When the pilot turned his airplane from base to final approach, the airplane on the ground taxied onto the runway. He elected to do "S" turns to give the airplane on the runway time to depart, but airplane remained on the runway.
The pilot also said:
"...Prior to ground impact, I elected to wave off...power was applied...Upon rolling wings level...I felt a left slip and stick shaker...The aircraft began falling, rolling left impacting the ground..."
The pilot further stated that during ground impact, full power was applied, and the airplane became airborne. The pilot continued the climb and then completed a successful landing at THV. The pilot stated that he encountered no malfunctions with the airframe or engine.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N42BN
- Reported as
- Berry Vans RV-4
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 2394
- Airframe hours
- 38
- Engine
- Lycoming 0320-E3D, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Timothy L. Berry
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 18, 1996 · 38 hours before
- Departed
- W54 · Westminster, MD
- Destination
- THV · PA
- Airport
- THV · York, runway 34, 5,188 × 100 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
- 54
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 10,000 total · 50 in this make and model · 9,500 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 39 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MDT, 20 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.