Van's RV-8 N143MS

Summary

On 20 July 2019 at about 14:20 local time, a Van's RV-8 registered N143MS was involved in an accident near Oshkosh, Wisconsin, United States. 2 people were 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

20 July 2019 at 14:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Oshkosh, Wisconsin, United States

Nearest airport

Wittman Regional Airport (OSH)

Coordinates

43.9844, -88.5567

Aircraft

Van's RV-8

Registration

N143MS

Category

Airplane

Year built

2017

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

De Kalb → Oshkosh

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN19CA227

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate spacing from the lead airplane while landing following revised landing instructions, which necessitated that the pilot conduct an improper landing flare and resulted in a hard 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 was the second airplane in a flight of two and had been instructed by the air traffic controller to land on the orange dot on the runway (dots were used to facilitate multiple landings for the fly-in). During the descending turn from the base leg to the final leg, the pilot saw a third airplane. The third airplane appeared to be landing straight-in to the same runway. The air traffic controller instructed the flight of two to land further down the runway, on the green dot, to accommodate the third airplane. As the pilot adjusted the engine power and descent rate for the new landing point, he noted that the closure rate with the lead airplane in his flight of two had increased and that the lead airplane decelerated quickly as it landed. The pilot increased the pitch to overfly and avoid a collision with the lead airplane. After he confirmed that he was past the lead airplane, he adjusted the pitch and engine power to land, but the airplane landed hard. During the landing, the airplane settled left wing down and veered left off the runway, and the left main landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.