- Date
- August 20, 2003, 09:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Cottonwood, ID
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N80978Globe GC-1B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 30, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20030820019989A
- Case key
- 57765
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, and his failure to maintain directional control of the airplane. Factors contributing to the accident were the updraft, the terrain drop-off, and the fence.
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
While flaring to land, an updraft caused the airplane to rise and touchdown on the main landing gear somewhat hard. After the aircraft bounced, the pilot initiated a go-around with the carburetor heat on and the flaps in the down position. Full power was added, but the plane mushed and came back down, resulting in the left main landing gear collapsing. The aircraft exited the left side of the runway and down a slight incline before impacting a fence and coming to rest in an adjoining pasture.
Factual narrative
On August 20, 2003, approximately 0930 Pacific daylight time, a Globe GC-1B single-engine airplane, N80978, sustained substantial damage after a hard landing at the Cottonwood Municipal Airport (S64), Cottonwood, Idaho. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant of the airplane, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. The flight originated from the Orofino Municipal Airport, Orofino, Idaho, at 0910
In a telephone interview with the NTSB investigator-in-charge, and according to the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB form 6120.1/2), the pilot reported that while flaring to land an updraft caused the airplane to rise and touch down on the main landing gear "somewhat hard," causing the aircraft to bounce. The pilot stated that after it bounced he initiated a go-around with the carburetor heat on and the flaps in the down position. The pilot stated that despite adding full power the plane mushed and came back down, resulting in the left main landing gear collapsing. The airplane exited the runway down an incline to the left, impacted a fence, and came to rest upright in the adjoining pasture on the south side of the airstrip.
In addition to the damaged left main landing gear, both wings were substantially damaged, and the propeller was damaged due to a propeller strike.
.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N80978
- Reported as
- Globe GC-1B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1171
- Airframe hours
- 887
- Engine
- Continental C125, 125 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Paul E. Smith
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 7, 2003
- Departed
- S68 · Orofino, ID
- Destination
- S84 · Cottonwood, ID
- Airport
- S84 · Cottonwood Municipal Airport, runway 25, 3,100 × 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
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- July 27, 2002
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,775 total · 6 in this make and model · 1,775 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Observed at
- LWS, 42 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.