Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Ravalli County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Hamilton, Montana 59840
Thursday, August 27, 2009 19:45 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot performed three off-airport takeoffs and landings on a river sandbar. During his last landing, a main landing gear wheel separated from his amateur-built twin-engine airplane when an attachment weld sheared. Witnesses were located on a river raft and saw that the airplane appeared to touchdown on a sand/gravel bar that was within 75 yards of their location. During this event, one of the airplane's wheels separated and initially traveled toward them, but then veered away and entered the river. Thereafter, the pilot added power and performed a go-around. When the pilot subsequently landed back at the departure airport, he was unable to maintain directional control of his airplane. The airplane impacted objects, and the right side of the fuselage buckled.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The separation of the right main landing gear wheel due to the flight's encounter with soft terrain while landing on an unimproved river sandbar. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to attempt a landing on an unimproved off-airport surface.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/27/2009 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1945 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Hamilton |
| Event State | MONTANA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 59840 |
| Event Date Year | 2009 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 461505N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1140732W |
| Event Location Airport | Ravalli County |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 6S5 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 3642 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | -- |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | -- |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -- |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 340 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 26059 |
| NTSB Notification Source | NM FAA Duty Officer |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 18 2009 3:20PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N950TC |
| NTSB Number | WPR09CA421 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | MEYER ROBERT |
| Aircraft Model | AIR CAM |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | AC 126 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1660 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 24 2009 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 89 |
| Airframe Hours | 295 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | MEYER ROBERT |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | STUART |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 34994-7612 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | MEYER ROBERT |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | STUART |
| Operator State | FL |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 34994-7612 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | 6S5 |
| Departure City | Hamilton |
| Departure State | MT |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1830 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | 6S5 |
| Destination City | Hamilton |
| Destination State | MT |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 18 2009 3:20PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 34 |
| Runway Length | 4200 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |