No fatalities

23 Aug 2018: Vans RV10 — Spring Branch, TX

Spring Branch, TX, United States

On 23 Aug 2018, a Vans RV10 was involved in an aviation accident near Spring Branch, TX. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain the proper glidepath and his subsequent abrupt maneuver to avoid trees, which led to the exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack and resulted in an aerodynamic stall during landing and a subsequent loss of… This summary draws on records from NTSB; 7 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A pilot reported that on short final, the airplane was low, slow, and right of centerline; an overcorrection to clear trees led to a stall and touchdown on the upsloping runway end, with the right wing striking terrain and the airplane skidding onto a taxiway.

Accident

The pilot reported that during the approach for landing, the airplane was on short final but was too low, too slow, and positioned to the right of the runway centerline. In an attempt to clear trees located at the approach end of runway 12, the pilot initiated an overcorrection. Subsequently, the airplane stalled and touched down on the upsloping approach end of the runway. The right wing then struck rising terrain in the safety area on the right side of the runway. The airplane skidded across the grass safety area and came to rest on the parallel taxiway.

Aircraft Damage

The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the engine mounts. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Runway Information

The runway had rising terrain at both the approach and departure ends. According to the airport facility directory, runway 12 had 20-foot tall trees located 25 feet from the runway threshold and required a 4:1 glide slope to remain clear.

Contributing factors

Descent/approach/glide path — Not attained/maintainedDirectional control — Not attained/maintainedPilotAngle of attack — Not attained/maintained