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CEN13CA120

2012-12-30 · Hobart, Indiana, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport 3HO

Current FAA registration · N641TD

Make / Model
ROBIDOUX LIONEL WITTMAN W 10
Year of manufacture
1996 · 16 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING 0-290 SERIES (140 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20040909
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A86A9F

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed during landing, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and subsequent hard landing.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that the airplane’s airspeed was about 20 mph slower than normal when he turned on final approach. After clearing obstructions at the end of the runway the pilot started to flare for a landing when the airplane suddenly dropped and impacted the runway surface. The hard landing partially collapsed the left main landing gear and resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures associated with the airplane prior to the accident and noted that the accident could have been prevented if he had maintained a safe airspeed. The pilot reported that the airplane’s airspeed was about 20 mph slower than normal when he turned on final approach. After clearing obstructions at the end of the runway, the pilot started to flare for a landing when the airplane suddenly dropped and impacted the runway surface. The hard landing partially collapsed the left main landing gear and resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane and noted that the accident could have been prevented if he had maintained a safe airspeed. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Airspeed-Not attained/maintained - C
  • C Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Lack of action-Pilot - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2012_CEN13CA120.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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Related research

Matched on aircraft type or causal vocabulary (stall). All research papers