- Date
- October 21, 2010, 16:47 local (23:47 UTC)
- Place
- Fort Hunter Liggett, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4247UAir Tractor AT-802
- Defining event
- Landing: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)
- 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
- 20101021050599A
- Case key
- 77651
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 glide path, which resulted in a runway undershoot and collision with terrain during landing.
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 was conducting a short-field landing demonstration on a dirt airstrip. During the landing approach, the tailwheel impacted a berm of dirt located at the approach end of the airstrip. The nose pitched down and the propeller struck the runway, followed by the main landing gear. The airplane then bounced back into the air and the pilot added engine power. The airplane skidded to the left, resulting in the right main landing gear and tailwheel separating during the impact sequence. The pilot indicated that he should have landed farther down the airstrip. He reported no preimpact mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot was conducting a short-field landing demonstration on a dirt airstrip. During the landing approach, the tailwheel impacted a berm of dirt located at the approach end of the airstrip. The nose pitched down and the propeller struck the runway, followed by the main landing gear. The airplane then bounced back into the air, the pilot added power, and the airplane skidded to the left. The right main landing gear and tailwheel separated during the impact sequence. The pilot indicated that he should have landed farther down the airstrip. No mechanical anomalies were reported.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4247U
- Reported as
- Air Tractor AT-802
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 802-4001
- Airframe hours
- 187
- Engine
- Pratt and Whitney PT6A-67F, 1,600 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · Part 91
- Operator
- Air Tractor Inc
- Registered owner
- Air Tractor Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · July 7, 2010
- Departed
- PVT · Fort Hunter Liggett, CA
- Destination
- PVT · Fort Hunter Liggett, CA
- Airport
- PVT · Schoonover Strip (Private), runway 09, 6,000 × 50 ft, dirt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 69
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 1, 2010
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 25,000 total · 1,500 in this make and model · 24,000 as pilot in command · 75 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.01 inHg
- Observed at
- PRB, 35 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 22, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.2 MB 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.