- Date
- June 23, 2020, 08:15 local (15:15 UTC)
- Place
- Rochester, WA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N417HWNorth Wing Uum Scout X-C
- Defining event
- Approach: Inflight upset
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- Case key
- 101486
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 adequate airspeed while on final approach in turbulent conditions, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and subsequent hard landing.
Findings · 4
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 student pilot reported that while on final approach for landing he encountered turbulence. After traveling out from behind trees near the runway, he encountered a strong upward force on the right wing which pushed the aircraft to the left and increased altitude about 20 ft. The pilot reported that the aircraft stalled, and he did not increase power fast enough to recover from the stall before the airplane landed hard, which substantially damaged the wing frame. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the aircraft that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The student pilot reported that while on final approach for landing, he encountered turbulence. After traveling out from behind trees, he encountered a strong upward force on the right wing which pushed the aircraft to the left and increased altitude about 20 ft. The pilot reported that the aircraft stalled, and he did not increase power fast enough to recover from the stall before the airplane landed hard which substantially damaged the wing frame. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the aircraft that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N417HW
- Reported as
- North Wing Uum Scout X-C
- Category
- Weight-shift
- Serial number
- LS9006
- Built
- 2010
- Airframe hours
- 54
- Engine
- Rotax 912, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · March 1, 2020
- Departed
- 8W9 · Rochester, WA
- Destination
- 8W9 · Rochester, WA
- Airport
- 8W9 · R & K Skyranch, runway 34, 2,480 × 35 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 66
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 50 total · 30 in this make and model · 30 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.06 inHg
- Observed at
- KOLM, 11 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 7, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.1 MB in all.