No fatalities

20 Jul 2019: Vans RV-8 — Oshkosh, WI

Oshkosh, WI, United States

On 20 Jul 2019, a Vans RV-8 was involved in an aviation accident near Oshkosh, WI. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate spacing from the lead airplane while landing following revised landing instructions, which necessitated that the pilot conduct an improper landing flare and resulted in a hard landing. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A private pilot landed hard after maneuvering to avoid a lead airplane, causing the left main landing gear to collapse and substantial damage to both wings and fuselage.

Incident Overview

A private pilot, flying as the second airplane in a flight of two, was instructed by an air traffic controller to land on the orange dot on runway 27. During the descent from base leg to final leg, the pilot observed a third airplane appearing to land straight-in to the same runway. The controller then directed the flight of two to land further down the runway on the green dot to accommodate the third airplane.

Maneuvering and Avoidance

As the pilot adjusted engine power and descent rate for the new landing point, he noticed an increased closure rate with the lead airplane, which decelerated quickly upon landing. To avoid a collision, the pilot increased pitch to overfly the lead airplane. After confirming clearance past the lead aircraft, he adjusted pitch and power to land.

Hard Landing and Damage

The subsequent landing was hard. During the hard landing, the airplane settled with the left wing down and veered left off the runway, causing the left main landing gear to collapse. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage.

Aircraft Condition

No mechanical anomalies were found that would have precluded normal operations.

Contributing factors

Landing flare — Not attained/maintainedPilotContributed to outcome