- Date
- October 3, 2020, 19:13 local (Oct 4, 2020, 01:13 UTC)
- Place
- Firth, ID
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7143ACapella XLS
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO SLC
- FAA report
- 20201003016699A
- Case key
- 102091
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 during the landing flare which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and collision with the ground.
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 reported that about 15 ft above the ground, during the landing flare, the airspeed decreased, and the left wing dropped. The pilot applied full throttle control to recover from the stall, however the airplane continued to descend and touched down on the left land gear which collapsed. The airplane spun around substantially damaging the left aileron and lower rudder. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7143A
- Reported as
- Capella XLS
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 027
- Built
- 2015
- Airframe hours
- 450
- Engine
- Rotax 912, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · July 20, 2020
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- NONE · Pvt, runway Grass Strip, 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
- 33
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Unknown
- Last flight review
- May 16, 2020
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 681 total · 450 in this make and model · 665 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 230° at 28 knots, gusting 39
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.86 inHg
- Turbulence
- Light
- Observed at
- KIDA, 16 nm away
- METAR
- KIDA 211953Z 23028G39KT 10SM OVC049 13/01 A2986 RMK AO2 PK WND 22039/1911 SLP096 T01280006
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 25, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.8 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.