Skykits SAVANNAH ADV N769R

Summary

On 14 September 2007 at about 16:30 local time, a Skykits SAVANNAH ADV registered N769R was involved in an accident near Lava Hot Spring, Idaho, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

14 September 2007 at 16:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Lava Hot Spring, Idaho, United States

Nearest airport

Lava Hot Springs Airport (00E)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Skykits SAVANNAH ADV

Registration

N769R

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Lava Hot Spring → Lava Hot Spring

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX07LA278

Nobody was injured.

Failure of the pilot to maintain aircraft control during landing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot had been recently certified as a light sport airplane instructor and wanted to become more proficient with crosswind landings from the right seat. The first takeoff and landing were normal. On the second landing, the pilot noted a moderate, variable crosswind, along with turbulent conditions. He maintained an airspeed of about 5 knots faster for taking off and landing. The pilot stated that as he flared for landing, the airplane floated down the runway as a result of "ground level turbulence." The nose unexpectedly dropped and struck the ground. The nose landing gear collapsed and the airplane nosed over, which caused structural damage to the fuselage. The pilot further reported that he had trimmed the airplane with a "significant nose-high attitude." However, based on manufacturer's illustration of the positions of the pivot plate and hinge point, the airplane had in fact been trimmed to a full nose-down position. A Safety Board metallurgist examined the elevator trim aft control rod and reported that the downward bending deformation at the fracture location was consistent with an overstress fracture under compression loading and no mechanical or design anomalies were noted.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.