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CHI02LA171

2002-06-18 · Niles, Michigan, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport 3TR

Current FAA registration · N816DJ

Make / Model
AERO VISIONS INTL HORIZON I
Year of manufacture
2000 · 2 years old at event
Engine
CONT MOTOR A&C65 SERIES (65 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20001116
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S AB1FFA

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing. A factor was the pilot's lack of experience in tailwheel airplanes.

Factual narrative

On June 18, 2002, at 2100 eastern daylight time, an amateur-built Hulle Horizon 1, N816DJ, sustained substantial damage when it nosed over after a bounced landing at the Jerry Tyler Memorial Airport (3TR), Niles, Michigan. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight departed 3TR and was on a local flight. The private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The pilot reported, "Flew left hand pattern for runway 4 - Landed in the grass past intersection. Back taxied runway 4 and took off again. On second landing aircraft bounced, I neutralized the stick and aircraft settled back on grass an[d] nosed over, very quickly. I should have [kept] stick back and controlled descent with throttle." The pilot reported he had 112.8 hours of total flight experience and 7.6 hours of flight experience in the make and model of aircraft. He reported, "Low time tailwheel pilot, just need more experience." The amateur-built airplane sustained substantial damage when it nosed over after a bounced landing. The pilot reported, "Flew left hand pattern for runway 4 - Landed in the grass past intersection. Back taxied runway 4 and took off again. On second landing aircraft bounced, I neutralized the stick and aircraft settled back on grass an[d] nosed over, very quickly. I should have [kept] stick back and controlled descent with throttle." The pilot reported he had 112.9 hours of total flight experience and 7.6 hours of flight experience in the make and model of aircraft. He reported, "Low time tailwheel pilot, just need more experience." Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2002_CHI02LA171.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.