No fatalities

4 Oct 2019: Vans RV9 A — Lake Elsinore, CA

Lake Elsinore, CA, United States

On 4 Oct 2019, a Vans RV9 A was involved in an aviation accident near Lake Elsinore, CA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's selection of unsuitable terrain for taxi, which resulted in the landing gear collapsing and a nose-over. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 10 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

After landing on a dirt runway, the airplane's nose landing gear collapsed while taxiing over soft terrain, causing the aircraft to nose over and sustain substantial damage.

Incident Overview

A pilot reported an accident that occurred after landing on a dirt runway. While taxiing along the runway toward the parking area, the nose landing gear encountered an area of soft terrain. The gear subsequently collapsed, causing the airplane to nose over.

Damage Assessment

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and rudder as a result of the nose-over.

Pilot's Report

The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The incident was attributed solely to the soft terrain encountered during taxi.

Contributing factors

PilotEffect on equipmentDecision related to condition