Summary
On May 21, 2014, a Lauritsen Ralph M RV 4 (N50036) was involved in an incident near Rockwell City, IA. 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 improper landing flare which resulted in a hard landing.
The pilot reported that while landing she applied aft pressure on the control stick to flare the airplane and lost sight of the runway seeing only the nose of the airplane. She reduced pressure on the control stick and the passenger said "stick forward". The pilot stated that she didn't know how far forward she moved the control stick. The airplane subsequently impacted the runway and nosed down before settling back onto the landing gear. The airplane sustained damage to the propeller, cowl, landing gear and firewall.
This incident is documented in NTSB report CEN14CA264. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N50036.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's improper landing flare which resulted in a hard landing.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
The pilot reported that while landing she applied aft pressure on the control stick to flare the airplane and lost sight of the runway seeing only the nose of the airplane. She reduced pressure on the control stick and the passenger said "stick forward". The pilot stated that she didn't know how far forward she moved the control stick. The airplane subsequently impacted the runway and nosed down before settling back onto the landing gear. The airplane sustained damage to the propeller, cowl, landing gear and firewall.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CEN14CA264