Harrop Blake RV 7 N4163B

Summary

On 14 January 2018 at about 00:30 local time, a Harrop Blake RV 7 registered N4163B was involved in an accident near Death Valley National Park, California, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 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

14 January 2018 at 00:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Death Valley National Park, California, United States

Nearest airport

Furnace Creek (L06)

Coordinates

36.4633, -116.8808

Aircraft

Harrop Blake RV 7

Registration

N4163B

Category

Airplane

Year built

2005

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Lone Pine → Death Valley National Park

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA18CA103

2 people had minor injuries.

The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during the landing flare, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.

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, about 2 to 3 ft above the ground, he reduced power, and the airplane aerodynamically stalled. The airplane landed hard and then bounced, the nose landing gear collapsed, and the airplane then came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the canopy and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.