- Date
- January 8, 2013, 12:24 local (20:24 UTC)
- Place
- Georgetown, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N70ACStribling James L RV4
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 25, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20130108000139A
- Case key
- 85987
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 and failure to maintain directional control 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 reported that he intended to land the tailwheel-equipped airplane on a sloped asphalt runway that he had not landed at before the accident flight. The first landing attempt terminated with a go-around because he was not comfortable with the approach. The second approach was high and a little too fast, which caused the airplane to float down the runway. When the airplane touched down, it bounced; after a second bounce, the pilot applied increasingly aggressive braking for fear of overrunning the runway. The airplane veered off the hard surface runway, encountered soft mud, and subsequently nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer, rudder, and elevator. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he intended to land the tail-wheel equipped airplane on a sloped asphalt runway that he had not landed at prior to the accident flight. The first landing attempt terminated with a go-around because he was not comfortable with the approach. The second approach was high and a little too fast which caused the airplane to float down the runway. When the airplane touched down it bounced; after a second bounce, the pilot applied brakes and corrective action. The airplane veered off the hard surface runway, encountered soft mud and subsequently nosed over substantially damaging the vertical stabilizer, rudder and elevator. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operations.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N70AC
- Reported as
- Stribling James L RV4
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- JS01
- Airframe hours
- 284
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360 SER, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Mark Hornsby
- Registered owner
- Mark Hornsby
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · January 6, 2013
- Departed
- Davis, CA
- Destination
- E36 · Georgetown, CA
- Airport
- E36 · Georgetown Airport, runway 16, 2,980 × 60 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
- 53
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 250 total · 17 in this make and model · 30 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 15, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 299 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 N70AC · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.