Amateur-built RV-7A accident near Charlottesville, Indiana, July 25, 2013
On July 25, 2013 at about 2:00 pm local time, a amateur-built RV-7A, registered N1243A, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Charlottesville, Indiana (Oakes Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The improper landing attitude which damaged the nosewheel and a resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 25, 2013 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Charlottesville, Indiana · Oakes Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RV-7A
- Registration
- N1243A · registry record · serial 72022
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While in the traffic pattern to land on a turf strip, the pilot noted that he was below a normal pattern altitude. During the final approach leg, the pilot had to add power to ensure the airplane would make the runway surface. Once the airplane made the end of the runway, the pilot pulled the throttle to idle and the airplane descended. The nosewheel touched first and bent aft. The airplane bounced and then landed hard. The nose of the airplane contacted the ground and the airplane flipped over, coming to rest in the inverted position. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failure prior to the accident. Examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and rudder.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 928 hours in all; 35 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 928 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 21, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 34.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 21, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KGEZ Shelbyville IN at 1:45 pm
- Destination: 66IN Charlottesville IN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 1,000 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from KGEZ, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N1243A the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN13CA434.