- Date
- August 14, 2010, 15:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Petaluma, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N468DWAir Creation Clipper 582S
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 16, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20100814042419A
- Case key
- 76967
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, resulting in a hard landing and nose over.
Findings · 2
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
While about 10 feet above ground level when landing to a private airstrip, the airplane suddenly descended and landed hard on all three landing gear. When it bounced back into the air, the airplane veered to the left. The left wing struck the ground and the airplane nosed over, coming to rest inverted. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he was taking a friend for a short flight. He landed on a private airstrip at a cow pasture where a radio control model airplane club regularly met. The friend got into the back seat and they took off. The pilot stated that there was a "stiff breeze blowing." They flew for about 25 minutes and then returned to the cow pasture. The pilot reported that about 10 feet above ground level, all of a sudden the airplane descended and landed hard on all three landing gear. When it bounced back into the air, the trike veered to the left. The left wing struck the ground and the airplane went up on its nose and then came to rest inverted. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical problems with the trike.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N468DW
- Reported as
- Air Creation Clipper 582S
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- T99075
- Airframe hours
- 545
- Engine
- Rotax 582S, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 9, 2010 · 75 hours before
- Departed
- O69 · Petaluma, CA
- Destination
- Petaluma, CA
- Airport
- O69 · Petaluma Municipal Airport
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
- 59
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Sport Pilot
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Last flight review
- October 31, 2009
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 380 total · 375 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.88 inHg
- Observed at
- APC, 16 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 27, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 838 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.