# NTSB WPR21LA336: Ragwing S1, N423JB, Arlington, WA, September 4, 2021

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report
- Date: September 4, 2021, 09:10 local (16:10 UTC)
- Place: Arlington, WA
- Coordinates: 48.16543, -122.16309
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=48.1654&lon=-122.1631&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092)
- Highest injury: Serious injuries
- Injuries: 1 serious
- 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
- NTSB case key (mKey): 103798
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR21LA336
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/103798/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=103798
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR21LA336

## Probable cause

The pilot’s loss of directional control during landing.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Joel A Bowker RAGWING S1, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=05631XO), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md)
- [Performance/control parameters: directional control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Joel A Bowker RAGWING S1, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020/cases.md?model=05631XO), [All aircraft, 3,958 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092) (defining event); cases with it: [Joel A Bowker RAGWING S1, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md?model=05631XO), [All aircraft, 2,102 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md)
- [Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230); cases with it: [Joel A Bowker RAGWING S1, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230/sequence.md?model=05631XO), [All aircraft, 4,585 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230/sequence.md)

## Analysis

The tail wheel equipped airplane landed hard after the student pilot performed a series of touch-and-go takeoffs and landings. The airplane travelled off the runway to the left and came to rest in the grass. The pilot sustained serious injuries, which prevented him from recalling the accident circumstances. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. Examination of the airplane’s flight control system did not reveal any mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N423JB](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N423JB-2021-12-04), registration cancelled 2021-12-04, S/N RWS296JB, built 2012 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: Ragwing S1
- Registry model: [Joel A Bowker RAGWING S1](https://openairdocs.org/model/joel-a-bowker-ragwing-s1) (registry code 05631XO) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Rotax 582DCDI](https://openairdocs.org/engine/rotax-582dcdi) (registry code 55562, 2 cycle) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number: RWS296JB
- Year built: 2012
- Airframe hours: 125
- Engines: Rotax 582 DCDI 64 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection: Condition, August 1, 2021, 10 hours before
- Destination: Same as departure
- Airport: AWO, Arlington Muni, runway 23L, 3,200 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment: None

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 63; injuries: serious; student; medical: sport pilot; seat: single; restraint: 4-point; flight hours: 350 total, 120.9 in this make and model, 350 as pilot in command

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: calm
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 61 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observed at: AWO
- METAR: 
METAR KAWO 041556Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 16/09 A2998 RMK AO2 SLP155 T01560094=

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20210904019389A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210904019389A), Sep 4, 2021: Joel A Bowker RAGWING S1, Arlington, WA, Substantial damage. On September 4, 2021 at Arlington municipal airport, WA, the mishap pilot in command (PIC), in a ragwing S1 aircraft, N423JB, was doing pattern work. After…

## Docket (5 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 18, 2022, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=103798. 8.6 MB in all.

- Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 9 pages, 3.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13124235&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=r_6120%20complete_Redacted-Rel%20(1)-Rel.pdf
- Airport traffic pattern map (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 1.7 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12986226&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Traffic-Pattern-Map-PDF-Rel.pdf
- Memorandum for record a�� telephone interview, FAA (item 3, PDF, 1 page, 130 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12986491&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Memo%20for%20Record-FAA-Rel.pdf
- Airport incident report with photos (item 4, PDF, 9 pages, 8 photos, 3.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12986473&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=r_AP%20Manager%20Report%20including%20photos_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Decommissioned runway (item 5, PDF, 1 page, 576 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13080565&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Decomissioned%20Runway-Rel.pdf

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.