N315RA – S.O.C.A.T.A. RALLYE 235 – 2009-05-23 NTSB Accident Report

On May 23, 2009, a S.o.c.a.t.a. RALLYE 235 (N315RA) was involved in an incident near Ontario, OR. All 2 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's misjudged landing flare. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of any experience in the make and model airplane.

The pilot, who was conducting a series of touch-and-go landings, allowed the airplane to balloon during the landing flare. The airplane then dropped in from about five feet above the runway, resulting in a hard landing on all three landing gear. The pilot then added power, took off, and continued in the traffic pattern for another landing. During the subsequent landing roll, the nose landing gear collapsed, resulting in substantial damage to the firewall. The pilot, who had accumulated about 1,500 hours total flying time, had not flown this make and model airplane prior to this flight.

This incident is documented in NTSB report WPR09CA271. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N315RA.