Kurtz Jay B RV-9A N125TK

Summary

On 9 March 2014 at about 18:30 local time, a Kurtz Jay B RV-9A registered N125TK was involved in an accident near Live Oak, Florida, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

9 March 2014 at 18:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Live Oak, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Jones Field (None)

Coordinates

30.3500, -82.9997

Aircraft

Kurtz Jay B RV-9A

Registration

N125TK

Category

Airplane

Year built

2007

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Suwannee Bell → Live Oak

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA14LA152

2 people were seriously injured.

The pilot’s improper recovery from a bounced landing, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall, a subsequent nose-down landing, and excessive bending loads to the nose landing gear.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the pilot and the pilot-rated passenger, during the landing at the pilot's home airstrip in the tricycle landing gear, experimental amateur-built airplane, the pilot stated, "I'm coming in too hot." The pilot continued the landing to the turf runway, and, according to the passenger and a witness, the airplane landed hard and then bounced. The passenger stated that, during the bounce, the airplane stalled. Further, the witness stated that, when he responded to the scene to help, he heard the pilot say that the airplane had "stalled." Ground scars and wreckage photographs indicated that, after the stall, the airplane landed nose down, which resulted in the nose landing gear leg folding aft. The folded area then dug into the ground, and the airplane nosed over. The pilot indicated that he believed that a service bulletin to strengthen the nose landing gear and provide greater ground clearance for the nose wheel fork had been incorporated. Although the nose landing gear did not collapse after the initial hard landing and bounce, it could not withstand the excessive bending loads sustained during the subsequent nose-down landing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.