- Date
- March 31, 2007, 15:15 local (21:15 UTC)
- Place
- Bountiful, UT
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N455DBBurdette RV-3
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 25, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Salt Lake FSDO
- FAA report
- 20070331004359A
- Case key
- 65515
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 roll. Factors include an earthen berm near the point where the aircraft departed the side of the runway.
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
During an attempted full-stop three-point landing in the tailwheel-equipped aircraft, the aircraft bounced back into the air after the initial touchdown. While it was in the air it started to drift toward the side of the runway. When the aircraft touched down a second time, it started to "fishtail." During the pilot's attempt to keep the aircraft tracking straight, it departed the left side of the runway, encountered a nearby earthen berm, and flipped over onto its back. There was no evidence that there had been any problem with the rudder or tailwheel steering systems. On the NTSB Form 6120.1/2, Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, the pilot stated that he needed "more takeoff and landing practice."
Factual narrative
On March 31, 2007, approximately 1515 mountain daylight time, an experimental Burdette RV-3, N455DB, nosed over during the landing roll at Bountiful Skypark, Bountiful, Utah. The commercial pilot, who was the sole occupant, received serious injuries, and the aircraft, which is owned and operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal pleasure flight, which departed Tooele, Utah, about 15 minutes prior to the accident, was being operated in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan had been filed. There was no report of an ELT activation.
According to the pilot, who was attempting to do a full-stop three-point landing in the tailwheel-equipped aircraft, the aircraft bounced back into the air after the initial touchdown. While it was in the air it started to drift toward the side of the runway. When the aircraft touched down a second time, it started to "fishtail." During the pilot's attempt to keep the aircraft tracking straight, it departed the left side of the runway, encountered a nearby earthen berm, and flipped over onto its back.
According to the pilot, there was no evidence that there had been any problem with the rudder or tailwheel steering systems. On the NTSB Form 6120.1/2, Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, the pilot stated that he needed "more takeoff and landing practice."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N455DB
- Reported as
- Burdette RV-3
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 0004
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A1A, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Brett C. Austin
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · April 1, 2006
- Departed
- KTVY · Tooele VAlley, UT
- Destination
- KBTF · Bountiful, UT
- Airport
- KBTF · Skypark, runway 34, 5,000 × 60 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
- 40
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 1, 2006
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 687 total · 5 in this make and model · 600 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.