- Date
- December 10, 2011, 13:45 local (21:45 UTC)
- Place
- Furnace Creek, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N28870Grumman AA5
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 8, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20111210027719A
- Case key
- 82492
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 landing flare, inadequate recovery from 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
According to the pilot, he flared too high, and the airplane landed hard and bounced. The airplane then exited the left side of the runway and nosed over after the nose landing gear collapsed and separated. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wing. The pilot stated that he added power during the bounce, but decided to abort the attempted go-around. The pilot further stated that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal flight.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, he flared too high, made a hard landing, and then bounced at least once. The airplane then exited the left side of the runway and nosed over after the nose landing gear collapsed and separated. The pilot stated that he briefly added power during the bounce, but decided to abort the attempted go around. The pilot further stated that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N28870
- Reported as
- Grumman AA5 (B)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- AA5B0875
- Airframe hours
- 3,726
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Donald S Slutzky
- Registered owner
- Santa Barbara Flying Club
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · October 11, 2011
- Departed
- SBA · Santa Barbara, CA
- Destination
- L06 · Furnace Creek, CA
- Airport
- L06 · Furnace Creek Airport, runway 33, 3,065 × 70 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
- 68
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 30, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 280 total · 25 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.13 inHg
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 10, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 335 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.