- Date
- September 11, 2009, 08:10 local (14:10 UTC)
- Place
- Helena, MT
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N119WWCessna 305A
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 15, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Helena FSDO
- FAA report
- 20090911016629A
- Case key
- 74728
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 landing flare and recovery from a bounced landing.
Findings · 5
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 the landing flare, the pilot misjudged his height above the runway, resulting in a higher-than-normal flare and a harder-than-normal touchdown. Immediately after the airplane made contact with the runway, it began to veer from side to side, and the pilot was unable to maintain directional control. According to the pilot, there were no issues with the rudder or the tailwheel steering systems, but he did feel that the glare from bright sun that he was landing toward had contributed to his abnormal flare height.
Factual narrative
During the landing flare, the pilot misjudged his height above the runway, resulting in a higher than normal flare, and a harder than normal touchdown. Immediately after the airplane made contact with the runway, it began to veer from side to side, and the pilot was unable to maintain directional control. According to the pilot, there were no issues with the rudder or the tail wheel steering systems, but he did feel that the glare from bright sun that he was landing toward had contributed to his abnormal flare height.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N119WW
- Reported as
- Cessna 305A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22481
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-470 SERIES, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Davis Bob F
- Registered owner
- Davis Bob F
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- KHLN · Helena, MT
- Destination
- KHLN · Helena, MT
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- KHLN · Helena Regional, runway 09, 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
- 73
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 28, 2009
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,332 total · 200 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 28, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 435 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.