The pilot reported that the sun was in his eyes as he was landing his RV-4 at the airport in Ramah, N.M.
He said that there were 3′ berms in the area where the airplane touched down and that the runway was about 30′ wide.
The left wing hit the berm and the weeds. The propeller then hit the berm, followed by the right wing and tailwheel. The right wing sustained substantial damage.
Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from berms during landing in sun glare conditions.
NTSB Identification: CEN17CA345
This September 2017 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
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An isolated, private, 40 ft wide, dirt airstrip, 2800 ft long…..All I can say is , Stupid pilot trick.!
30 feet…..worse yet! I never cease to be amazed at the danger people will put their lives in.
The FAA registration has NM56 as 40 ft wide. It may have been narrowed with grading the dirt to make berms on both sides of the airstrip…
Sounds like a great place to fly! Do you require 5,000 x 100 feet of pavement everywhere you go?
When you have known risks such as a narrow runway with berms on either side and the sun in your eyes you need some degree of mitigation. Choosing to land when you can’t see due to sun glare is the stupid pilot trick. Go around is the correct answer.