Aviation Accident Summaries

Aviation Accident Summary LAX07CA138

Jackpot, NV, USA

Aircraft #1

N211RT

Tolsma Tony G Avid Magnum

Analysis

The experimental conventional landing gear equipped airplane ground looped and nosed over following a hard landing. The pilot flew crosswind to check the wind direction, and he thought that the winds favored landing on runway 33. They were variable at 5 knots gusting to 10. On downwind, the windsock indicated that he would have a quartering tail wind. He decided to continue the landing on 33 because it was uphill, and he didn't think that the wind was too bad. But during the landing, the airplane stalled about 3 feet over the runway, impacted the runway hard, and bounced into the air. When the airplane touched down again, it veered left and ground looped. The right wing impacted a runway sign, and the airplane nosed over. When the pilot exited the airplane, he noticed that the winds were gusting more than he expected. He also reported that there were no malfunctions with the airplane prior to the accident.

Factual Information

On April 28, 2007, at 1345 mountain daylight time, an experimental conventional geared Tolsma Avid Magnum, N211RT, departed the runway during landing and nosed over at Jackpot Airport/Hayden Field, Jackpot, Nevada. The owner/pilot was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The private pilot and one passenger were not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The cross-country personal flight departed Caldwell, Idaho, at 1222, with a planned destination of Jackpot. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The approximate global positioning system (GPS) coordinates of the primary wreckage were 41 degrees 58.56 minutes north latitude and 114 degrees 39.49 minutes west longitude. According to the pilot, he flew crosswind to check the wind direction, and thought that the winds favored landing on runway 33. He said that they were variable at 5 knots gusting to 10. On downwind, the windsock indicated that he would have a quartering tail wind. He decided to land on runway 33 because it was uphill, and he didn't think that the wind was too bad. On final, the pilot pulled power about 3 feet over the runway because he thought that he was too fast. The airplane stalled, impacted the runway hard, and bounced into the air. When the airplane touched down again, it veered to the left. He added power, but that didn't prevent a ground loop. The right wing impacted a runway sign, and the airplane nosed over. When the pilot exited the airplane he noticed that the winds were gusting more than he expected. He thought that the tail wind, high altitude, and warm temperature caused the airplane to stall before he was ready for touchdown. He also reported that there were no malfunctions with the airplane prior to the accident.

Probable Cause and Findings

The pilot's inadequate weather evaluation, inadequate compensation for the wind conditions, and decision to land with a gusty, quartering tailwind. Also causal was the pilot's misjudged landing flare and inadequate recovery from a bounced landing, resulting in a loss of directional control, collision with an object, and a nose over.

 

Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database

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