Czech Aircraft Works SPORTCRUISER N524SC

Summary

On 23 December 2008 at about 19:45 local time, a Czech Aircraft Works SPORTCRUISER registered N524SC, operated by Tidewater Flight Center, was involved in an accident near Emporia, Virginia, United States. One person was 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

23 December 2008 at 19:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Emporia, Virginia, United States

Nearest airport

Emporia-Greensville Regional (EMV)

Coordinates

36.6869, -77.4828

Aircraft

Czech Aircraft Works SPORTCRUISER

Registration

N524SC

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Tidewater Flight Center

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Norfolk → Emporia

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA09LA111

Nobody was injured.

The student pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing. Contributing to the accident was the improperly marked airspeed indicator and the airplane manufacturer's improper airspeed information.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

While landing the Special Light Sport Aircraft at an airport during his first solo cross-country flight, the student pilot encountered a strong wind gust during the downwind to base turn. After turning into the final leg he was "well above the approach path indicator." He then encountered difficulty in “getting the plane on the runway.” During the flare the airplane floated and he applied a “small amount of power,” to keep the airplane from stalling. As the airplane flew above the runway it drifted to the left. After the airplane touched down, the student heard and felt the left main landing gear impact something. Recorded winds at the accident airport were variable at 7 knots. Postaccident examination revealed that the airplane had struck a runway light with its left main landing gear. The airplane's fuselage structure had come into contact with a bell crank during the accident, and a rod end that attached to the bell crank broke. This rendered the pitch control system inoperative. The student pilot stated that he should have "gone around," but he was a "little confused about the airspeed at the time." As a result of this statement, NTSB investigators examined photographic evidence of the airplane's cockpit, and the airspeed information that was published in the airplane manufacturer's Pilot Operating Handbook (POH). The examinations revealed that the airspeed indicator's indicator and airspeed color code range markings did not agree with the information published in the supplied airplane manufacturer's POH and also that the markings were inaccurate. This could lead to confusion as well as an accident, as the indicated airspeed is an important value for the pilot as it directly indicates stall speed and various airframe structurally limited speeds, regardless of density altitude. Furthermore, it was discovered that the stall speed information and airspeed indicator calibration information published in the POH in many cases was inaccurate and contained large differences (in several instances almost 20 knots) between the published indicated airspeeds and the published calibrated airspeeds.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.