- Date
- June 12, 1999, 12:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Bradford, PA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N173ABMorrow RV-6
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 22, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19990612043989A
- Case key
- 46596
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 flare which resulted in a hard landing, and subsequent collapse of the nose gear.
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 non-certificated pilot of the airplane was landing on a private grass strip. During the landing, the nose gear collapsed and the airplane nosed over. The pilot reported 75 hours of total flight experience, of which seven hours were in the make and model of the accident airplane. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any mechanical malfunctions of the airframe or engine. Winds reported at an airport about seven miles north of the accident site were from 130 degrees at seven knots.
Factual narrative
On June 12, 1999, about 1230 eastern daylight time, a homebuilt RV-6, N173AB, was substantially damaged while landing at a private unlisted grass strip in Bradford, Pennsylvania. The non-certificated pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the local flight that departed the Bradford Regional Airport (BFD). The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The unlisted grass strip was located about 7 miles south of BFD, and the airplane was landing to the east.
When interviewed by a Federal Aviation Administration Inspector, the pilot stated that just prior to landing, a "gust of wind" forced the airplane's nose gear down into the turf runway. The nose gear dug into the ground and the airplane flipped over onto it's back.
The pilot said he did not experience any mechanical malfunctions with the airplane.
The pilot did not posses a pilot certificate. He reported 75 hours of total flight experience, with 7 hours in the make and model of the accident airplane. Additionally, the pilot's last medical certificate was issued in 1977.
Review of the airplane's maintenance records revealed that the airplane did not have a current condition inspection.
Winds reported at BFD, at 1253, were from 130 degrees at 7 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N173AB
- Reported as
- Morrow RV-6
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- BM-01
- Engine
- Volkswagen 1850, 72 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Edward H. Crisman
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 24, 1997
- Departed
- BFD · PA
- Destination
- NONE
- Airport
- NONE · None, runway 9, 1,200 × 100 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
- 45
- Medical
- Expired
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 75 total · 7 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BFD, 7 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.