Stribling James L RV4 N70AC

Summary

On 8 January 2013 at about 20:24 local time, a Stribling James L RV4 registered N70AC, operated by Mark Hornsby, was involved in an accident near Georgetown, California, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

8 January 2013 at 20:24

Classification

Accident

Location

Georgetown, California, United States

Nearest airport

Georgetown Airport (E36)

Coordinates

38.9208, -120.8647

Aircraft

Stribling James L RV4

Registration

N70AC

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Mark Hornsby

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Davis → Georgetown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR13CA089

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot’s improper landing flare and failure to maintain directional control during landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he intended to land the tailwheel-equipped airplane on a sloped asphalt runway that he had not landed at before the accident flight. The first landing attempt terminated with a go-around because he was not comfortable with the approach. The second approach was high and a little too fast, which caused the airplane to float down the runway. When the airplane touched down, it bounced; after a second bounce, the pilot applied increasingly aggressive braking for fear of overrunning the runway. The airplane veered off the hard surface runway, encountered soft mud, and subsequently nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer, rudder, and elevator. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.