- Date
- September 22, 2010, 09:51 local (16:51 UTC)
- Place
- Glendale, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N121LSport Plane Dynamics Lightning
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 20, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviatioin Administration
- FAA report
- 20100922045459A
- Case key
- 77365
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, which resulted in a bounced landing and loss of directional control.
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
The pilot-owner completed building his airplane and then performed a test flight with a pilot-rated passenger on board. The pilot-owner reported that the passenger was on board to assist him in becoming acquainted with the airplane's flying characteristics because the passenger had flying experience in somewhat similar airplanes. The passenger stated that after various maneuvers were performed, the pilot-owner attempted to land. Following the landing flare the pilot lost control of the airplane, it bounced several times, veered off the runway, and it came to rest in a nose low upright attitude. The airplane's undercarriage partially collapsed, both ailerons and the rudder were bent, and the airplane was substantially damaged. Airport personnel reported that the wind speed was 3 knots. No mechanical failures or malfunctions were reported.
Factual narrative
The pilot-owner completed building his airplane and then performed a test flight with a pilot-rated passenger on board. The pilot-owner reported that the passenger was on board to assist him in becoming acquainted with the airplane's flying characteristics because the passenger had flying experience in somewhat similar airplanes. The passenger stated that after various maneuvers were performed, the pilot-owner attempted to land. Following the landing flare the pilot lost control of the airplane, it bounced several times, veered off the runway, and it came to rest in a nose low upright attitude. The airplane's undercarriage partially collapsed, both ailerons and the rudder were bent, and the airplane was substantially damaged. Airport personnel reported that the wind speed was 3 knots. No mechanical failures or malfunctions were reported.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N121L
- Reported as
- Sport Plane Dynamics Lightning
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 45
- Airframe hours
- 1
- Engine
- Jabiru 3300, 120 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · July 26, 2010 · 1 hours before
- Departed
- GEU · Glendale, AZ
- Destination
- GEU · Glendale, AZ
- Airport
- GEU · Glendale Municipal, runway 19, 7,150 × 100 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 73
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 12, 2009
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,497 total · 1 in this make and model · 1,344 as pilot in command · 24 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Other flight crew
- Age
- 60
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 20, 2009
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.68 inHg
- Observed at
- GEU
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 18, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 675 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.
Other investigations on N121L · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.