- Date
- August 24, 2013, 14:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Burlington, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9494TL Ultralight Stingsport
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 19, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- FAA report
- 20130824015949A
- Case key
- 87857
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 flare and unsuccessful attempt to correct a bounced landing, which resulted in a nose gear collapse
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 rented the special light sport airplane from a fixed base operator for the purpose of conducting a personal flight to a non-towered airport, where he planned to practice landings and takeoffs. He entered a left traffic pattern for runway 11 at the destination airport, and conducted a normal touch-and-go landing and takeoff, with the intent of conducting at least one more touch-and-go on the same runway. He used the same flap and power settings for the second approach, but noted that the second approach was "slightly shallower than normal." After touchdown, the airplane bounced. The pilot maintained the pitch attitude, and the airplane touched down and bounced again. He then added power with the intent to abandon the landing, but the propeller struck the runway. The pilot reduced power and the airplane slid to a stop on the runway. The nose landing gear was collapsed aft, and penetrated the fuselage fuel tank, which resulted in substantial damage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot rented the special light sport airplane from a fixed base operator for the purpose of conducting a personal flight to a non-towered airport, where he planned to practice landings and takeoffs. He entered a left traffic pattern for runway 11 at the destination airport, and conducted a normal touch-and-go landing and takeoff, with the intent of conducting at least one more touch-and-go on the same runway. He used the same flap and power settings for the second approach, but noted that the second approach was "slightly shallower than normal." After touchdown, the airplane bounced. The pilot maintained the pitch attitude, and the airplane touched down and bounced again. He then added power with the intent to abandon the landing, but the propeller struck the runway. The pilot reduced power and the airplane slid to a stop on the runway. The nose landing gear was collapsed aft, and penetrated the fuselage fuel tank, which resulted in substantial damage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9494
- Reported as
- TL Ultralight Stingsport
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- TLUSA155
- Built
- 2007
- Airframe hours
- 453
- Engine
- Rotax 912ULS, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Arlington Flight Services
- Registered owner
- Arlington Flight Services
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special); Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 20, 2013 · 6 hours before
- Departed
- BVS · Burlington, WA
- Destination
- BVS · Burlington, WA
- Airport
- BVS · Skagit Regional, runway 11, 5,478 × 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
- 60
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 16, 2013
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 163 total · 13 in this make and model · 111 as pilot in command · 14 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,900 ft broken
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.92 inHg
- Observed at
- BVS
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.