No fatalities

Hard Landing and Nose-Over at Kings Land O' Lakes Airport (N142DD)

Land O' Lakes, WI, United States

On July 19, 2015, a ROBERTS BRUCE W VANS AIRCRAFT RV 9A A (registration N142DD) was involved in an aviation accident near Land O' Lakes, WI. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot’s failure to maintain a proper descent rate, which resulted in a hard landing. This summary draws on records from NTSB.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1785761257Data APIEditorial standards

A Vans RV-9A sustained substantial damage after a hard landing and nose-over at Kings Land O' Lakes Airport. The pilot and passenger received minor injuries.

Accident Details

On July 19, 2015, at approximately 1335 central daylight time, a Vans RV-9A (registration N142DD) was substantially damaged during a landing accident at Kings Land O' Lakes Airport (LNL) in Land O' Lakes, Wisconsin. The pilot and one passenger sustained minor injuries. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.

Sequence of Events

According to information provided by Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors, the airplane landed hard on the grass runway and bounced twice. Following the second bounce, the nose gear fork became embedded in the grass. The nose landing gear leg subsequently folded under the cowling. The propeller spinner contacted the ground, causing the airplane to nose over. It came to rest inverted.

Damage Assessment

The accident resulted in substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and main spar. No other damage details were provided.

Pilot and Witness Statements

The pilot reported to FAA inspectors that the airplane encountered an uneven surface during landing, which led to the collapse of the nose landing gear. However, a local mechanic drove the runway in his vehicle and informed FAA inspectors that there were no irregularities in the surface in the area where the nose gear collapsed.

Reporting Status

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) did not receive a completed Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report from the pilot.

Conclusion

No probable cause has been determined for this accident based on the available information.

Contributing factors

PilotDescent rate — Not attained/maintained