- Date
- October 21, 2010, 16:39 local (23:39 UTC)
- Place
- Colville, WA
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N471BRotherwick Glasair III
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Runway excursion
- 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
- 20101021048439A
- Case key
- 77650
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 misjudged approach and failure to attain the proper touchdown point, which resulted in a runway overrun.
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 reported that he was landing the airplane in calm wind conditions. The airplane touched down midway down the runway at stall speed. Upon touchdown, the pilot retracted the flaps and applied brake pressure, including full aft elevator, in an attempt to bring the airplane to a stop. With the end of the runway approaching, the pilot applied left brake in an effort to turn the airplane to the left and the airplane nosed over off the end of the runway. The pilot stated that he checked the brakes prior to flight, but felt that they did not function normally during the landing. A witness reported that when the airplane was landing, it floated in ground effect until about 100 feet beyond midfield. The landing gear contacted the runway and the airplane continued to decelerate until disappearing over the end of the runway. According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector that responded to the accident, skid marks led from the runway to the location where the airplane came to rest. The FAA inspector examined the braking system following the accident and found no mechanical anomalies. At the time of this writing, the pilot had not submitted NTSB Form 6120.1, the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported in a written statement that he was landing the airplane to the south on a 2,695-foot long runway, with winds from the south at 1-2 knots. The airplane touched down midfield at stall speed. Upon touchdown, the pilot retracted the flaps and applied moderate brake pressure, including full aft elevator to bring the airplane to a stop. With the end of the runway approaching, the pilot applied maximum brake pressure. Near the end of the runway the pilot applied left brake to turn the airplane to the left, and the airplane nosed over off the end of the runway. The pilot stated that he checked the brakes prior to flight, but felt that they did not function normally during the landing. A witness reported that when the airplane was landing, it floated in ground effect until about 100 feet beyond midfield. The landing gear contacted the runway, and the airplane continued to decelerate until disappearing over the end of the runway. According to the FAA inspector, skid marks led from the runway to the location where the airplane came to rest. The FAA inspector examined the braking system following the accident and found no mechanical anomalies. At the time of this report, the pilot had not submitted NTSB Form 6120.1, the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N471B
- Reported as
- Rotherwick Glasair III
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 3380
- Engine
- Textron Lycoming IO-540, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Bill Perry
- Registered owner
- US Capital BanCorp
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- 635 · Colville, WA
- Destination
- 635 · Colville, WA
- Airport
- 635 · Colville Municipal, runway 19, 2,695 × 40 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
- 39
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 362 total · 50 in this make and model · 31 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.82 inHg
- Observed at
- KDEW, 39 nm away
Docket · 6
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 22, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 987 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 N471B · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.