- Date
- November 29, 2007, 08:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Death Valley, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8770MBeech A23
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 31, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20071129828279I
- Case key
- 67279
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 during landing.
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 during the landing on runway 5, the touchdown was hard and the airplane bounced and started to "porpoise". Subsequently the nosewheel landing gear failed aft, and the airplane nosed down and slid to a stop. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane at the time of the accident. Examination of the airplane by salvage personnel revealed that the engine mount and firewall were bent.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during the landing on runway 5, the touchdown was hard and the airplane bounced and started to "porpoise". Subsequently the nose wheel landing gear failed aft, and the airplane nosed down and slid to a stop. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane at the time of the accident. Examination of the airplane by salvage personnel revealed that the engine mount and firewall were bent.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8770M
- Reported as
- Beech A23
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- M-555
- Engine
- Continental IO-340-A, 165 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Claire L. Koch
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- RNO · Reno, NE
- Destination
- L09 · Death Valley Nt, CA
- Airport
- L09 · Stovepipe Wells Airport, runway 5, 3,260 × 65 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
- 38
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 119 total · 39 in this make and model · 29 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 37 °F, dew point 9 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.20 inHg
- Observed at
- NID
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.