Pphu Ekolot KR-030 TOPAZ N468KM

Summary

On 5 May 2018 at about 16:21 local time, a Pphu Ekolot KR-030 TOPAZ registered N468KM, operated by North Illinois Union Group Aircraft Divi, was involved in an accident near Dekalb, Illinois, 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

5 May 2018 at 16:21

Classification

Accident

Location

Dekalb, Illinois, United States

Nearest airport

De Kalb Taylor Muni (DKB)

Coordinates

41.9283, -88.7075

Aircraft

Pphu Ekolot KR-030 TOPAZ

Registration

N468KM

Category

Airplane

Year built

2017

Engines

1

Operator

North Illinois Union Group Aircraft Divi

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Dekalb → Dekalb

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA18CA255

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s improper landing flare during gusting wind conditions, and the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, during a flight review, while landing in gusting wind conditions, the airplane ballooned and landed hard on the left main landing gear. The airplane veered sharply to the left, and the pilot applied full power to go around, but the airplane "would not climb." The flight instructor took the flight controls and the airplane came to rest about 400 yards south of the runway. The flight instructor reported that, during the landing, the airplane ballooned and "abruptly dropped" onto the runway, damaging the left landing gear. The airplane veered to the left, the pilot applied power to go around, and the airplane bounced into the air. He added that the airplane would not climb and continued to bounce multiple times before coming to rest south of the runway. He believed the propeller and landing gear damage may have prevented the airplane from climbing during the go around. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The automated weather observation station located on the airport reported that, about 6 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 250° at 11 knots, gusting to 16 knots. The airplane landed on runway 27.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.