- Date
- April 15, 2021, 13:58 local (19:58 UTC)
- Place
- Oljato-Monument Valley, UT
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N345DLVans RV4
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Loss of control in flight
- 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
- Case key
- 102978
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 airplane control while compensating for a downdraft during landing, which resulted in the airplane touching down short of the runway on soft terrain and nosing over.
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, as he approached the airport, he noted there was turbulence, and that the windsock was indicating light winds. While on the short-final leg of the traffic pattern for runway 16, the airplane encountered a downdraft. The airplane’s sink rate increased and in response, the pilot applied full engine power. Despite his attempt to arrest the descent, the airplane touched down about 200 ft before the runway in soft terrain. The airplane nosed over coming to rest inverted. Both wings were substantially damaged.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N345DL
- Reported as
- Vans RV4
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1345
- Built
- 1994
- Airframe hours
- 625
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, 180 hp, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- KSEZ · Sedona, AZ
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- UT25 · Monument Valley, runway 16/34, 4,000 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- 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
- 56
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 475 total · 135 in this make and model · 413 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 22 knots, gusting 32
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 14 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.86 inHg
- Observed at
- KBDG, 48 nm away
- METAR
- KBDG 141935Z AUTO 19022G32KT 10SM 19/M10 A2986 RMK AO1 T01911096
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 1, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 9.5 MB in all.