Nelson Sydney VANS ACFT RV8A N832SD

Summary

On 4 May 2017 at about 17:23 local time, a Nelson Sydney VANS ACFT RV8A registered N832SD was involved in an accident near Englewood, Colorado, 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

4 May 2017 at 17:23

Classification

Accident

Location

Englewood, Colorado, United States

Nearest airport

Centennial (APA)

Coordinates

39.5700, -104.8494

Aircraft

Nelson Sydney VANS ACFT RV8A

Registration

N832SD

Category

Airplane

Year built

2002

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Pueblo → Englewood

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA17CA257

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot's improper landing flare and inadvertent selection of the mixture control, which resulted in a hard, bounced landing during gusting crosswind wind conditions.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, during the landing flare in gusting crosswind conditions, he realized that the descent rate was a "little fast/ heavy," so he "reached to [the] left to add power and smooth out [the] flare." He further reported that he mistakenly grabbed the "red knob" (the mixture control), instead of the throttle, to arrest the descent rate. Subsequently, the airplane continued to descend, bounced hard on the runway, and became airborne again. When the airplane settled back onto the runway, the nose landing gear collapsed, the propeller struck the runway, and the airplane veered off the runway to the left and nosed over. The fuselage and vertical stabilizer sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. An automated weather observation station at the accident airport recorded that, about the time of the accident, wind was from 360° at 8 knots, gusting 15 knots. The pilot reported that the landing was on runway 28.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.