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Backcountry landing damages RV-9’s wings

By NTSB · November 22, 2019 ·

According to the pilot in the RV-9, a low-wing, experimental, amateur-built airplane, he landed on a backcountry strip near Moab, Utah.

During the taxi, at about 15 mph, the left wing and the right wing struck separate fence posts.

The pilot said the fence posts were surrounded by vegetation and not visible.

He continued his taxi to parking and shut the engine off.

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the leading edge and the ribs on both wings.

The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Probable cause: The pilot’s selection of an unsuitable taxiway, which resulted in the wings striking hidden fence posts.  

NTSB Identification: GAA18CA057

This November 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.

About NTSB

The National Transportation Safety Board is an independent federal agency charged by Congress with investigating every civil aviation accident in the United States and significant events in the other modes of transportation, including railroad, transit, highway, marine, pipeline, and commercial space. It determines the probable causes of accidents and issues safety recommendations aimed at preventing future occurrences.

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Comments

  1. JimH in CA says

    November 25, 2019 at 8:02 am

    OK, this one is a nit strange.
    Looking at the form 6120 and the photos of the sliced leading edges, it doesn’t match the ‘scratches’ that the pilot reported. The pics show the aircraft parked in a bunch of sagebrush…not much of a taxiway or ramp area.
    The lat-long listed yields an overgrown runway next to hwy 191 , south of Moab. But then, the satellite photo is 2 years after the accident. The fence is clearly shown between the runway and the road…not so much in the ‘back country’, and there’s a nice airport a few miles to the north.
    And then this guy says that he made repairs and flew it the next morning. NOPE ! To make repairs from the photos, the entire leading edge skin would need replacing, and at least one nose rib.

  2. Dave says

    November 25, 2019 at 6:13 am

    Ya know folks there are times when words really do fail you. Lesson learned, those darn posts that hide in bushes that you are about to run over with your expensive airplane can hurt you. This is a guy you don’t want to rent your airplane to.

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