- Date
- August 27, 2009, 19:45 local (Aug 28, 2009, 01:45 UTC)
- Place
- Hamilton, MT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N950TCMeyer Robert AIR CAM
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Part(s) separation from AC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 19, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20090828016579A
- Case key
- 74615
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 separation of the right main landing gear wheel due to the flight's encounter with soft terrain while landing on an unimproved river sandbar. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to attempt a landing on an unimproved off-airport surface.
Findings · 4
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
The pilot performed three off-airport takeoffs and landings on a river sandbar. During his last landing, a main landing gear wheel separated from his amateur-built twin-engine airplane when an attachment weld sheared. Witnesses were located on a river raft and saw that the airplane appeared to touchdown on a sand/gravel bar that was within 75 yards of their location. During this event, one of the airplane's wheels separated and initially traveled toward them, but then veered away and entered the river. Thereafter, the pilot added power and performed a go-around. When the pilot subsequently landed back at the departure airport, he was unable to maintain directional control of his airplane. The airplane impacted objects, and the right side of the fuselage buckled.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during his pleasure flight he performed three off-airport takeoffs and landings. During his last landing, a main landing gear wheel separated from his amateur-built twin-engine airplane when an attachment weld sheared. When the pilot subsequently landed back at the airport, he was unable to maintain directional control of his airplane. The airplane impacted objects, and the right side of the fuselage buckled. Witnesses reported that they were located on a river raft and observed the accident airplane flying 100 feet overhead. The airplane appeared to touchdown on a sand/gravel bar that was within 75 yards of their location. During this event, one of the airplane's wheels separated and initially traveled toward them, but then veered away and entered the river. Thereafter, the pilot "gunned his engines" and overflew the raft while circling the area.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N950TC
- Reported as
- Meyer Robert AIR CAM
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- AC 126
- Airframe hours
- 295
- Engines
- Rotax 912S, 100 horsepower, reciprocatingRotax 912S, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 24, 2009 · 89 hours before
- Departed
- 6S5 · Hamilton, MT
- Destination
- 6S5 · Hamilton, MT
- Airport
- 6S5 · Ravalli County, runway 34, 4,200 × 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
- Pilot
- Age
- 53
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 3,800 total · 1,850 in this make and model · 3,650 as pilot in command · 110 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 17, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 827 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.