Pilot Debrief

HAGERTY RV-7A near Altoona, PA — 2013-06-15

Final reportERA13LA288
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Date
2013-06-15
Location
Altoona, PA, USA
Airport
AOO
Aircraft
HAGERTY RV-7A
Registration
N954CH
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Serious
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Landing

Probable cause

The pilot's improper recovery from an encounter with a wind gust during landing, which resulted in a hard landing on, and displacement of, the nose landing gear and a subsequent runway excursion and noseover.

NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that the airplane maintained 80 mph on final approach and slowed to 70 mph at touchdown. Upon touchdown on the main landing gear, the pilot reported that a wind gust occurred, and the airplane subsequently climbed and then landed hard on the nose landing gear, which bent under. The airplane then rolled off the runway onto grass and nosed over. The pilot reported no preimpact failure or malfunction that would have precluded normal operation. Both occupants reported having their lapbelts "snug" but not as tight as they could have been. Postaccident examination revealed that the nose landing gear was displaced and that a person's head with a similar sitting height as both occupants would have been about 1 inch below a crush line between the vertical stabilizer and the engine cowling. When the airplane inverted, both occupants struck their heads and sustained neck injuries that likely resulted from proximity of their heads to the canopy and might have been exacerbated by any slack in their restraints. Although postaccident measurements of the restraints confirm the occupants' statements that they were less than tight, anthropomorphic data for both occupants was not obtained, therefore; the amount of slack in either seat restraint was not conclusively determined.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Loss of control
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have chosen a different runway or approach to avoid turbulence.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

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

Docket documents8

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