After accepting delivery of his recently purchased Jabiru 250, the pilot asked the ferry pilot to “show (him) how to operate the aircraft.”
During his second approach, he felt the plane was low and slow and asked the ferry pilot if he should add power. The ferry pilot responded, “you’re fine.”
Shortly after, the plane landed hard on the runway at the airport in Ferndale, Washington, the nose wheel and right main landing gear collapsed, and the right wing hit the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing.
The pilot reported there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
He added that, before the accident flight, he did not have any experience flying the accident airplane.
The ferry pilot said he agreed to only be a passenger and not act as a flight instructor. He added that the airplane was configured for only a left seat pilot.
Probable cause: The pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing. Contributing to the accident were the pilot’s lack of experience and training in the airplane make and model.
NTSB Identification: GAA18CA380
This June 2018 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.
No one should fly in an unfamiliar aircraft, especially one you just purchased without at least an hour of transition training. Insurance companies will often require multiple hours if transitioning to larger more powerful aircraft from slower less capabile one. Light sport planes require real stick-and-rudder skills with very light touch and a lot more skill to takeoff and land in crosswinds, for example.
How is it that he is carrying a passenger before completing at least 3 takeoffs and landings in the last 90 days?
He was breaking the rule. But worse? He bought a plane without getting transition training. Anyone doing that is throwing their money on the ground.
What makes you think that the pilot did not have legal currency of three take off and landings in 90 days?
“Last Flight Review or Equivalent: 03/01/2018
Flight Time: (Estimated) 5500 hours (Total, all aircraft), 0 hours (Total, this make and model), 10 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 5 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft), 0 hours (Last 24 hours, all aircraft)”
In ten hours there must have been a few T/Os. three would not be a stretch.
This appears to simply be a case of an unfamiliar aircraft and a second pilot that also did not know the aircraft.
To carry passengers, you need to log 3 takeoffs and landings within the preceding 90 days. Remember, this to applies to each aircraft category, class and type. If you get current in an Cessna 172 (ASEL), you aren’t current in an Piper Seminole (AMEL) – you must also get current in that aircraft class. This also applies to night currency!
Light sport airplanes can be a problem for those who have been flying larger planes. I had a biennial with a pilot who had owned a C182 and bought a typical light sport. He had lost the ability to actually look at the ground as he landed, and a lot of his landings were terrible. He went into a mode on short final that had worked for his C182, but the unusual response of the light sport to small wind changes usually screwed up his landings. I took him to a long runway and had him try to fly at constant airspeeds about a foot off the runway for the entire length several times. That forced him to actually look at the ground and keep flying the plane until it was actually landed. The improvement in his landings was immediate. Small wind changes in light sport planes at slow speeds make big unexpected differences. There is no alternative to flying them all the way through the landing. The Jibaru probably had more than enough speed to prevent the hard landing but the pilot had no idea how much input was needed and let it fly right onto the ground.
Totally right Mr. Joey
Here we have a simple, docile little airplane – really easy to fly. We also have 2 utterly incompetent pilots in the same airplane at the same time. End of story.