N2369

Substantial
None

BATES STARDUSTER SA-300S/N: DB-1

Accident Details

Date
Saturday, October 27, 2012
NTSB Number
CEN13CA037
Location
Reklaw, TX
Event ID
20121031X14410
Coordinates
31.839721, -94.961112
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
Highest Injury
None
Fatalities
0
Serious Injuries
0
Minor Injuries
0
Uninjured
2
Total Aboard
2

Probable Cause and Findings

The pilot’s improper recovery from a bounced landing, which resulted in a noseover.

Aircraft Information

Registration
N2369
Make
BATES
Serial Number
DB-1
Year Built
1973
Model / ICAO
STARDUSTER SA-300

Registered Owner (Historical)

Name
PAYNE MICHAEL J
Address
3306 WEEMS WAY
Status
Deregistered
City
ROWLETT
State / Zip Code
TX 75088-6473
Country
United States

Analysis

The pilot reported that he was landing on a private grass airstrip and that the grass was wet from the previous night’s rain. He stated that the airstrip was not flat and had sections that rolled up and down. He added that the airplane touched down harder than usual, which caused the landing gear to spread outward on the wet grass. The engine’s propeller was then low enough to contract the rising terrain and the airplane nosed over. The airplane came to rest in the inverted position, resulting in substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer, top wings, and the engine firewall. A witness reported that the airplane bounced on the runway about three times, before the airplane nosed over.

Data Source

Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CEN13CA037