Fleet FLEET 16B N343SF

Summary

On 18 August 2012 at about 21:00 local time, a Fleet FLEET 16B registered N343SF, operated by Martin Stephen S, was involved in an accident near Bayport, New York, 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

18 August 2012 at 21:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Bayport, New York, United States

Nearest airport

Bayport Aerodrome (23N)

Coordinates

40.7561, -73.0519

Aircraft

Fleet FLEET 16B

Registration

N343SF

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Martin Stephen S

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bayport → Bayport

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA12CA520

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s improper landing flare, which 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 returned to the departure airport after a brief local flight and entered the traffic pattern. While on final approach to the runway, he initiated a slip to the left to descend and increase his visibility of the runway. The pilot stated that during previous flights in the tailwheel-equipped biplane, after he exited the slip just before touchdown, the airplane would "float" down the runway in ground effect. However, when he exited the slip during the accident flight, the rate of descent remained constant, and the airplane's contact with the runway was "fairly severe." The landing gear subsequently collapsed, and the airplane departed the right side of the runway and nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the right upper wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation, and that the accident could have been prevented by a "quicker reaction" and "increasing [engine] power to arrest descent rate."

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.