NTSB CAROL · Event
Event GAA18CA562
Registry · N5RJ
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
JAMSEK RICHARD A RUTAN LONG EZ
Engine
LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES (180 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20001205
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A636BE
Registrant of record
PILKINGTON LAWRENCE O
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
The pilot's failure to maintain a proper descent rate, which resulted in a hard landing.
Factual narrative
The pilot in the experimental amateur-built airplane reported that during his third touch-and-go landing, the airplane's airspeed was fast, and the airplane landed hard. The airplane's nose landing gear collapsed, and the airplane exited the right side of the runway. The airplane cartwheeled and came to rest upright. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing spar. The pilot in the experimental, amateur-built airplane reported that, during his third touch-and-go landing, the airplane's airspeed was fast and that it landed hard. The airplane's nose landing gear collapsed, and the airplane exited the right side of the runway. The airplane cartwheeled and came to rest upright. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing spar. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12
NTSB Findings
Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).
- C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
- C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Airspeed-Not attained/maintained - C
- C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Descent rate-Not attained/maintained - C
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_2018_GAA18CA562.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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