- Date
- May 15, 2014, 16:50 local (23:50 UTC)
- Place
- Grand Canyon, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N521SHKalman George Lancair 360
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 2, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20140515007179A
- Case key
- 89221
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 inadequate flare, which resulted in a hard 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 he entered a right traffic pattern and established 80 knots on final approach. During the final approach he reduced engine power to idle and began to flare the airplane. The pilot stated that he believed that he flared higher than normal and he held a steady pitch attitude. As the airspeed decreased the airplane unexpectedly dropped and impacted the runway hard. The pilot lost directional control and the airplane skidded off the runway into a grassy area. The subsequent impact resulted in substantial damage to the lower fuselage and rudder. The pilot report no preimpact malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he entered a right traffic pattern and established 80 knots on final approach. During the final approach he reduced engine power to idle and began to flare the airplane. The pilot stated that he believed that he flared higher than normal and he held a steady pitch attitude. As the airspeed decreased the airplane unexpectedly dropped and impacted the runway hard. The pilot lost directional control and the airplane skidded off the runway into a grassy area. The subsequent impact resulted in substantial damage to the lower fuselage and rudder. The pilot report no preimpact malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N521SH
- Reported as
- Kalman George Lancair 360
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 0383
- Built
- 1997
- Airframe hours
- 1,010
- Engine
- Lycoming IO360 SER A&C, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · April 20, 2014 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- ABQ · Albuquerque, NM
- Destination
- GCN · Grand Canyon, AZ
- Airport
- GCN · Grand Canyon National Park, runway 03, 8,999 × 150 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
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 560 total · 50 in this make and model · 550 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 3.5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 10 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.29 inHg
- Observed at
- KGCN
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 14, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 7.8 MB 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.