Amateur-built RV-7A accident near Elmendorf, Texas, December 21, 2007
On December 21, 2007 at about 10:30 pm local time, a amateur-built RV-7A, registered N131RV, was substantially damaged in an accident near Elmendorf, Texas (Elmendorf airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the nose landing gear. A contributing factor was the mound/uneven runway surface.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 21, 2007 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Elmendorf, Texas · Elmendorf · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RV-7A
- Registration
- N131RV · registry record · serial 70327
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot landed his single-engine tricycle gear homebuilt airplane at a private 2,600-foot long by 200-foot wide grass airstrip. The pilot reported that on approach the airplane had about a 25-degrees of flap setting; he then "slowed [the airplane] to 80 knots on final [and crossed] over the fence at 70-75 knots." The pilot added, he made a normal landing and held the aircraft's nosewheel off the surface of the runway, until the airspeed bled off. About halfway down the runway, he stated that the airplane's nose suddenly lifted to about a 25-30 degree angle and when the nose came back down, he felt a "shutter". After the nosewheel came in contact with the runway surface, the aircraft tipped forward and while at a very slow speed, flipped over. The aircraft came to rest in the inverted position. The pilot inspected the runway and reported that about 66-feet from the aircraft, it appeared the nosewheel contacted the side of a "gopher mound" which caused the aircraft's nose to elevate. About 36-feet from the mound, and about 6-feet from where the nosewheel contacted the surface, the nosewheel track showed signs of widening. The wheel track got progressively wider and deeper until the point where the aircraft overturns. The aircraft had not been modified with the kit manufacturer's service bulletin, which increased the nose fork axle-to-ground clearance; the pilot added that he didn't think the added clearance would have helped prevent the accident.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,050 hours in all; 290 in this make and model; 107 in the last 90 days; 32 in the last 30 days; 990 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 290 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, March 1, 2007
- Maximum gross weight: 1,900 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EYQ Houston TX
- Destination: 28TE Elmendorf TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 2,600 ft by 200 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.80 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
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 DFW08CA048.