- Date
- October 24, 2012, 10:40 local (17:40 UTC)
- Place
- Casa Grande, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 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 January 31, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20121024022509A
- Case key
- 85456
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 failure to follow specified procedures for an aborted landing and loss of control during the attempt.
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 during the landing flare with full flaps selected, the airplane landed hard and bounced back into the air. The pilot attempted to abort the landing by applying full power and retracting the flaps in an effort to regain airspeed. The pilot stated that he was unable to regain airspeed and kept the wings level until the airplane landed adjacent to the runway. Subsequently, the airplane struck a dirt berm and came to rest nose low. Examination of the airplane revealed that the right wing was structurally damaged. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot operating handbook for the make/model of the accident airplane outlines a procedure for balked landings. The procedure states that the throttle should be placed full forward, the trim set as required, and flaps positioned to one-half and then retracted when operating above 80 miles per hour and 100 feet above ground level.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during the landing flare with full flaps selected, the airplane landed hard and bounced back into the air. The pilot aborted the landing by applying full power and retracting the flaps in an effort to regain airspeed. The pilot stated that he was unable to regain airspeed, and kept the wings level until it landed adjacent to the runway. Subsequently, the airplane struck a dirt berm, and came to rest nose low. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the right wing was structurally damaged. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot operating handbook for the accident make/model airplane outlines a procedure for balked landings. The procedure states that throttle should be placed full forward, trim set as required, flags positioned to one-half, and retract flaps when above 80 miles per hour and 100 feet above ground level.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N121L
- Reported as
- Sport Plane Dynamics Lightning
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 45
- Airframe hours
- 50
- Engine
- Jabiru 3300, 120 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Sport Plane Dynamics LLC
- Registered owner
- Sport Plane Dynamics LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 2, 2012 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- GEU · Glendale, AZ
- Destination
- CSZ · Casa Grande, AZ
- Airport
- CSZ · Casa Grande Municipal Airport, runway 05, 5,200 × 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 75
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 28, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,704 total · 50 in this make and model · 1,465 as pilot in command · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.93 inHg
- Observed at
- CGZ
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 28, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 554 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.