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CEN14CA264

2014-05-21 · Rockwell City, Iowa, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport 2Y4

Current FAA registration · N50036

Make / Model
VAN'S AIRCRAFT RV-4
Year of manufacture
1989 · 25 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES (180 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19890614
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A63CD0

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's improper landing flare which resulted in a hard landing.

Factual narrative

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. The pilot reported that while landing she applied aft pressure on the control stick to flair 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. 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-Landing flare-Not attained/maintained - C
  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
  • C Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2014_CEN14CA264.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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