- Date
- December 16, 2019, 12:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Nampa, ID
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N719JSJohn Sample Bearhawk
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 16, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20191216022089A
- Case key
- 100695
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 selection of unsuitable terrain for landing, which resulted in impact with a knoll and a subsequent ground-loop.
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
According to the pilot, after an uneventful flight, he verified the current weather conditions about 10 miles from the airport and subsequently entered the airport traffic pattern, at which point he chose to land on a grassy area between the runway and taxiway. The airplane touched down normally, but during the landing roll, the pilot saw an obstacle in the middle of the grassy area. The pilot was unable to react before the right main landing gear impacted a knoll, and the airplane ground looped. The right main landing gear collapsed, and the right wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, after an uneventful flight, he verified the current weather conditions about 10 miles from the airport and subsequently entered the airport traffic pattern, at which point he elected to conduct a "grass landing." The airplane touched down normally, but during the landing roll he observed an obstacle in the middle of the "runway." The pilot was unable to react before the right main landing gear impacted a knoll and the airplane ground looped. The right main landing gear collapsed, and the right wing was substantially damaged. The airplane landed on an area of grass between the runway and taxiway when it impacted the grass knoll. According to the airport manager, pilots are advised to land and takeoff on published runways only as prescribed under the airport policy page of the airport's website. This information is not available in the airport's chart supplement. The pilot indicated that he checked the chart supplement for pertinent airport information, which did not include any restrictions about landing on the grass area between the taxiway and runway. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N719JS
- Reported as
- John Sample Bearhawk (No Series)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 050-91/92-796
- Built
- 2008
- Airframe hours
- 678.1
- Engine
- Lycoming Engines O-54-B485, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 16, 2018 · 34 hours before
- Departed
- MAN · Nampa, ID
- Destination
- MAN · Nampa, ID
- Airport
- MAN · Nampa Muni
- Equipment
- Satellite tracking device, Stall warning system, Angle of attack indicator, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display
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
- 37
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 1, 2019
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 583 total · 39 in this make and model · 504.6 as pilot in command · 4.9 in the last 90 days · 2.9 in the last 30 days · 1.6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 34 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.50 inHg
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 30, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.8 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.