Migas RV9-A N951DM

Summary

On 15 March 2010 at about 17:20 local time, a Migas RV9-A registered N951DM was involved in an accident near Twin Falls, Idaho, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

15 March 2010 at 17:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Twin Falls, Idaho, United States

Nearest airport

Joslin Field-Magic Valley Reg. (TWF)

Coordinates

42.4819, -114.4878

Aircraft

Migas RV9-A

Registration

N951DM

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Kennewick → Twin Falls

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR10LA160

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot's loss of directional control during landing roll for an undetermined reason.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

In near calm wind conditions, the pilot reported that after he made a normal traffic pattern approach and touchdown his airplane veered "sharply left," and he was unable to redirect the airplane's course back toward the runway using right rudder and right brake. The airplane departed the left side of the runway while rolling between 25 and 30 miles per hour. Thereafter, it rolled onto an open soft dirt field adjacent to the runway's edge, the nose gear dug into the dirt, and the airplane came to rest upside down. The pilot had recent flying experience in the airplane and was current. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the accident site and airplane. He reported observing evidence on the runway of nose gear shimmy. Also, he reported observing evidence that the nose gear created a furrow in the soft dirt consistent with the nose gear wheel being canted sideways before breaking in an aft direction. No mechanical malfunction or anomalies were found with the airplane's flight controls, landing gear system, or brakes. Physical evidence related to the pilot’s loss of directional/steering control was not found. The pilot indicated that he does not know why the airplane's nose gear canted/twisted sideways and precluded him from maintaining directional control during rollout.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.