- Date
- May 23, 2014, 11:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Helena, MT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N514DLOlson Kitfox II
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Nose over/nose down
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 30, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20140523007729A
- Case key
- 89292
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 directional control during the landing roll, which resulted in the airplane nosing over.
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 during a full stop landing on a grass strip, rolling out at 20 mph, the airplane started veering left and he applied right rudder and right brake. The airplane abruptly nosed over and came to rest inverted substantially damaging the aft fuselage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during a full stop landing on a grass strip, rolling out at 20 mph, the airplane started veering left and he applied right rudder and right brake. The airplane abruptly nosed over and came to rest inverted substantially damaging the aft fuselage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N514DL
- Reported as
- Olson Kitfox II
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 514
- Built
- 1994
- Airframe hours
- 782
- Engine
- Rotax 912UL, 90 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Hopler Harold W
- Registered owner
- Hopler Harold W
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · May 5, 2014
- Departed
- KHLN · Helena, MT
- Destination
- KHLN · Helena, MT
- Airport
- KHLN · Helena Regional Airport, runway 27, 1,500 × 50 ft, grass/turf
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
- 59
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 30, 2014
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 11,370 total · 25 in this make and model · 6,854 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- KHLN
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 20, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.0 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.