- Date
- January 16, 2021, 14:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Elko, NV · Unimproved, off airport landing site on ridge
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2828MCreek Michel W Bearhawk
- 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
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20210116000629A
- Case key
- 102542
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 unstable approach to land, which resulted in a loss of directional control and subsequent nose over. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s decision to continue an approach in sun glare conditions.
Findings · 5
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 the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that he was on an approach to land on a ridge with the sun partially blocking his vision. The pilot continued the approach and the airplane touched down on a slope, away from his intended landing point, and the left wingtip impacted the ground. The pilot added power, but the airplane continued down the slope, nosed over, and came to rest inverted in a ravine. Both wings were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2828M
- Reported as
- Creek Michel W Bearhawk
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 056-107/108-854
- Built
- 2008
- Airframe hours
- 1,480
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special); Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Condition · June 1, 2020 · 55 hours before
- Departed
- KEKO · Elko, NV
- Equipment
- Onboard weather, Satellite tracking device, ADS-B, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display, Handheld GPS
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
- 61
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 18, 2019
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 2,500 total · 1,430 in this make and model · 2,500 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.34 inHg
- Observed at
- KEKO, 11 nm away
- METAR
- KEKO 162156Z AUTO 17003KT 10SM CLR 09/M02 A3034 RMK AO2 SLP276 T00941022
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 1, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.9 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.