- Date
- April 26, 2006, 13:45 local (20:45 UTC)
- Place
- Northport, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N20342Schmidt RV7A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 3, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20060426007049A
- Case key
- 63594
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 failure to maintain directional control during the landing flare/touchdown. Factors contributing to the accident included the gusty wind and soft terrain conditions which resulted in the aircraft nosing over during the landing roll.
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 reported that while attempting to land on Runway 23, at about 20 feet above the ground and 200 feet from the end the runway, he experienced a strong gust of wind, which forced the airplane to the runway and the nose strut to fail. The pilot stated that as the airplane slowed and he exited the runway to the south side, soft ground was encountered, which resulted in the airplane nosing over. The pilot estimated the wind at the time of the accident was 220 degrees at 20 to 25 knots.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that while attempting to land on Runway 23, at about 20 feet above the ground and 200 feet from the end the runway, he experienced a strong gust of wind, which forced the airplane to the runway and the nose strut to fail. The pilot stated that as the airplane slowed and he exited the runway to the south side, soft ground was encountered, which resulted in the airplane nosing over. The pilot estimated the wind at the time of the accident was 220 degrees at 20 to 25 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N20342
- Reported as
- Schmidt RV7A
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 70204
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Stephen F. Schmidt
- Registered owner
- Stephen F. Schmidt
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- 63S · Colville, WA
- Destination
- Northport, WA
- Airport
- NONE · Schmidt Airport, runway 23
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
- 65
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 4,650 total · 317 in this make and model · 57 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N20342 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.