- Date
- August 7, 2008, 10:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Carson City, NV
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N311RTCosmos Phase II
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report September 26, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Reno, Nevada
- FAA report
- 20080807841799A
- Case key
- 68647
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 inadequate compensation for the crosswind conditions. Contributing to the accident was the crosswind.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
During his first supervised solo flight, the student pilot did three touch-and-go landings without incident. During his fourth landing, he encountered a slight crosswind from his left, which pushed the airplane about 30 feet right of the 75-foot wide asphalt runway. The student pilot attempted to realign the airplane over the runway but was unsuccessful. He then was able to align the airplane with a dirt area to the right of the runway just past his intended landing area. The student pilot decided to continue and land the airplane in the dirt area adjacent to the runway. At an altitude of about 10 feet above ground level, he noticed a pile of dirt directly in the flight path of the airplane and attempted to go-around by applying full power. Subsequently, the airplane touched down, impacted the pile of dirt, and nosed over. Examination of the airplane by the student pilot revealed that both wings and airframe were structurally damaged. The student pilot stated that there were no anomalies with the engine or airframe that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
During his first supervised solo flight, the student pilot did three touch-and-go landings without incident. During his fourth landing, he encountered a slight crosswind from his left, which pushed the airplane about 30 feet right of the 75-foot wide asphalt runway. The student pilot attempted to realign the airplane over the runway but was unsuccessful. He then was able to align the airplane with a dirt area to the right of the runway just past his intended landing area. The student pilot decided to continue and land the airplane in the dirt area adjacent to the runway. At an altitude of about 10 feet above ground level, he noticed a pile of dirt directly in the flight path of the airplane, and attempted to go-around by applying full power. Subsequently, the airplane touched down, impacted the pile of dirt, and nosed over. Examination of the airplane by the student pilot revealed that both wings and airframe were structurally damaged. The student pilot stated that there were no anomalies with the engine or airframe that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N311RT
- Reported as
- Cosmos Phase II
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- B21476
- Engine
- Rotax 618, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Dave Kempler
- Registered owner
- Ken McCormick
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- CXP · Carson City, NV
- Airport
- CXP · Carson City Airport, runway 27, 5,906 × 75 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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 43
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Flight hours
- 0 total · 33 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 59 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.