- Date
- July 18, 2020, 07:50 local (14:50 UTC)
- Place
- Reno, NV
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N113MXSeele XPA-18
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control on ground
- 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
- FAA report
- 20200718007719A
- Case key
- 101645
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
An inadequate flare which resulted in a bounced landing and the pilot's failure to maintain directional control.
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
The pilot of a tailwheel equipped airplane reported that, during the planned three-point landing, he flared too soon, the airplane bounced on touchdown and he corrected with the application of engine power. The airplane touched down a second time, initially on the right main landing gear. As the left main landing gear settled onto the runway, the airplane veered left, and despite the pilot's control inputs, continued to veer to the left and the right wing struck the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot of a tailwheel equipped airplane reported that, during the planned three-point landing, he flared too soon, the airplane bounced on touchdown and he corrected with the application of engine power. The airplane touched down a second time, initially on the right main landing gear. As the left main landing gear settled onto the runway, the airplane veered left, and despite the pilot's control inputs, continued to veer to the left and the right wing struck the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N113MX
- Reported as
- Seele XPA-18
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 002
- Built
- 2015
- Airframe hours
- 373.8
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360, 190 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 17, 2020 · 100 hours before
- Departed
- RDD · Redding, CA
- Destination
- RTS · Reno, NV
- Airport
- RTS · Reno/Stead, runway 08, 7,608 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display, ADS-B
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
- 35
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 136.1 total · 31.3 in this make and model · 79.9 as pilot in command · 72.6 in the last 90 days · 28.8 in the last 30 days · 3.7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.21 inHg
- Observed at
- KRTS
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 14, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.3 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.