Pilot Debrief

ALON A2 near Greenbrier, AR — 2013-04-22

Final reportCEN13LA237
Sign in to save
Date
2013-04-22
Location
Greenbrier, AR, USA
Airport
12A
Aircraft
ALON A2
Registration
N6369V
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Fatal
Fatalities
1
Phase of flight
Landing

Probable cause

The pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing and porpoise. Contributing to the accident were the pilot's limited recent flying experience and proficiency and the challenging runway environment.

Contributing factors

Contributing to the accident were the pilot's limited recent flying experience and proficiency and the challenging runway environment.

NTSB narrative

According to a friend, the pilot had not flown regularly for about 20 years. However, the pilot had recently purchased an airplane and passed a biennial flight review. The flight instructor who conducted the flight review recommended to the pilot that he obtain additional flight instruction. The accident pilot then departed the location of the review to ferry the airplane to his home. A witness reported that, once the pilot reached the destination airport, the first two landing attempts were unstable, and the pilot initiated go-arounds each time. During the third landing, the airplane bounced and began to porpoise, and it then departed the left side of the runway and impacted a culvert. The pilot initiated a third go-around, during which, the airplane struck a tree and impacted terrain. A 131-foot ridge was located about 1,000 feet ahead of the approach end of the runway. Further, the runway was relatively narrow (about 40 feet) with a downslope. The combination of these factors created a challenging runway environment. It is likely that the pilot did not properly flare the airplane and then recover from the bounced landing due to his limited recent flying experience and proficiency.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Loss of control
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have opted for a go-around after the first bounce.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 4 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents4

Related mishaps