Pilot Debrief

RENDER RV 9A near Oshkosh, WI — 2014-07-30

Final reportCEN14FA396
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Date
2014-07-30
Location
Oshkosh, WI, USA
Airport
51WI
Aircraft
RENDER RV 9A
Registration
N82PR
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Serious
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Approach

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to establish a stabilized approach and to maintain airspeed during final approach over obstacles resulting in a stall/mush.

NTSB narrative

The pilot was landing the airplane at a privately-owned airport. He elected to land to the south on a turf runway that the wind favored. He turned onto left base and then to an "abbreviated final" to avoid airspace over a prison and power lines located north of the runway. The pilot said that the airplane was descending at the "usual rate," but the controls subsequently "got mushy." The airplane impacted terrain at the approach end of the runway. The pilot indicated in his accident report that there were no mechanical malfunctions in reference to the accident flight. No mechanical anomalies were detected during an on-scene investigation, and witness marks were consistent with the engine producing power at impact. The runway the pilot selected was not published in the Federal Aviation Administration's airport master record at the time of the accident, and, therefore, no obstructions were listed for this runway in the airport master record. The pilot's safety recommendation stated, in part, "the close location of the prison and the power lines on the north end of the airstrip forces pilots to make a short final but still stay high to avoid power lines. Maybe I should have landed to the north, even with a tailwind." The pilot most likely did not establish a stabilized approach and did not maintain the airplane's airspeed during the "abbreviated final" approach south of the prison and above the power lines, which resulted in a stall/mush.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Loss of control
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have chosen to land to the north to avoid obstacles.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 12 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents12

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