- Date
- June 1, 2013, 16:40 local (23:40 UTC)
- Place
- La Grande, OR
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N650VXBeech A23-24
- Defining event
- Approach-IFR final approach: Aerodynamic stall/spin
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 12, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20130601009499A
- Case key
- 87086
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 maintain airplane control and the flight instructors failure to monitor the pilot during a simulated emergency landing.
Findings · 2
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 while flying with a certified flight instructor (CFI) for his biannual review, they were simulating an engine failure over the airport with the intent to land on the runway. After spiraling to traffic pattern altitude, the pilot entered a downwind leg for the runway. The pilot turned towards the runway and inadvertently stalled the airplane about 200 feet above the ground. The CFI took over the flight controls; the airplane struck the ground hard, broke off the right main landing gear, and bounced back into the air. The CFI climbed to a safe altitude and circled above the airport before conducting an uneventful landing onto the grass next to the runway. During the accident sequence, the right wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that while flying with a certified flight instructor (CFI) for his biannual review, they were simulating an engine failure over the airport with the intent to land on the runway. After spiraling to traffic pattern altitude, the pilot entered a downwind leg for the runway. The pilot turned towards the runway and inadvertently stalled the airplane about 200 feet above the ground. The CFI took over the flight controls; the airplane struck the ground hard, broke off the right main landing gear, and bounced back into the air. The CFI climbed to a safe altitude and circled above the airport before conducting an uneventful landing onto the grass next to the runway. During the accident sequence, the right wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N650VX
- Reported as
- Beech A23-24
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- MA-194
- Airframe hours
- 2,733
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360 SER, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Hunt Russel And Anita
- Registered owner
- Hunt Russel And Anita
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 28, 2012 · 11 hours before
- Departed
- LGD · La Grande, OR
- Destination
- GLD · La Grande, OR
- Airport
- LGD · La Grande/Union County Airport, runway 34, 3,876 × 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 62
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 1, 2013
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 544 total · 194 in this make and model · 480 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 76
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 3, 2012
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 5,524 total · 95 in this make and model · 5,145 as pilot in command · 27 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 12,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Observed at
- LGD
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 27, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 729 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.