Pilot Debrief

WALDEN ROBERT VANS AIRCRAFT RV-7A near Williamsburg, VA — 2024-09-13

Final reportERA24LA381
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Date
2024-09-13
Location
Williamsburg, VA, USA
Airport
JGG
Aircraft
WALDEN ROBERT VANS AIRCRAFT RV-7A
Registration
N65RW
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Minor
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

The pilot’s decision to continue with an unstabilized approach which resulted in a hard landing and loss of directional control during a subsequent landing.

NTSB narrative

The pilot was attempting to land on a 60-ft-wide runway with a 10 to 15 knot left crosswind. He described that he was too high on the approach and made an aggressive right-wing low forward slip to lose altitude. While transitioning to complete the crosswind landing, the pilot misjudged his height above the runway and landed hard, damaging the nose landing gear. The airplane began to veer off the runway and the pilot aborted the landing. On the next landing, when the damaged nose landing gear touched down, the airplane veered off the runway, impacted a trench, and nosed over resulting in substantial damage to the right wing, vertical stabilizer, and rudder. Following the accident, the pilot stated that he should have gone around on the first landing attempt since he was not stabilized on the approach. He also reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

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

Docket documents2

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