N188LC

Substantial
Minor

Luciani RV8S/N: 82306

Accident Details

Date
Sunday, May 20, 2007
NTSB Number
DFW07CA122
Location
Tomball, TX
Event ID
20070626X00800
Coordinates
30.056943, -95.551666
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
Highest Injury
Minor
Fatalities
0
Serious Injuries
0
Minor Injuries
1
Uninjured
0
Total Aboard
1

Probable Cause and Findings

The deflated right main landing gear tire, which resulted in a loss of control during the landing roll and a nose over. A factor associated with the accident was the pilot's decision to operate the airplane without having the leaking tire inspected.

Aircraft Information

Registration
Make
LUCIANI
Serial Number
82306
Engine Type
Reciprocating
Model / ICAO
RV8RV8
Aircraft Type
Fixed Wing Single Engine
No. of Engines
1
Seats
2
FAA Model
RV8

Registered Owner (Current)

Name
SMITH BRANDON L
Address
11610 E 24TH LN
City
YUMA
State / Zip Code
AZ 85367-2215
Country
United States

Analysis

According to the commercial pilot, the preflight inspection revealed a low right tire with 20 pounds of pressure. He serviced the tire prior to the test flight to 35 pounds pressure; however, following a normal, soft landing about 25 minutes later, the airplane veered to the right. He was unable to control the airplane, and it exited the right side of the runway, ground-looped, and nosed over. The pilot was able to exit unassisted through the shattered canopy. The pilot reported that a postaccident inspection disclosed that the right tire was completely flat, and that the inner tube was leaking.

Data Source

Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# DFW07CA122