- Date
- January 1, 2011, 12:45 local (20:45 UTC)
- Place
- Torrance, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N322RVGiorgio Anthony J RV4
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 26, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20110101000269A
- Case key
- 78102
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 inadequate landing flare that resulted in a hard landing and a ground loop.
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 of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that during landing the left main gear collapsed resulting in a ground loop. He stated to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector that after landing the airplane seemed to oscillate then it pulled to the right, resulting in a ground loop into the grass on the right side of the runway. He also stated that he was not used to carrying a passenger in the rear seat. A postaccident inspection by an FAA inspector noted damage to the engine and strut mount assembly that was consistent with a hard landing.
Factual narrative
The pilot/owner of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that during landing the left main gear collapsed resulting in a ground loop. The pilot stated to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector that after landing the airplane seemed to oscillate then it pulled to the right, resulting in a ground loop into the grass on the right side of the runway. He also stated he was not used to carrying a passenger in the rear seat. The FAA inspector examined the airplane and noted damage to the engine and strut mount assembly that was consistent with a hard landing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N322RV
- Reported as
- Giorgio Anthony J RV4
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 002
- Airframe hours
- 117
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · October 1, 2010 · 25 hours before
- Departed
- TOA · Torrance, CA
- Destination
- TOA · Torrance, CA
- Airport
- TOA · Zamperini Field Airport, runway 29R, 5,001 × 150 ft, concrete
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
- 80
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,696 total · 117 in this make and model · 4 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.26 inHg
- Observed at
- TOA
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 8, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 228 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.