Amateur-built RV-7A accident near Altoona, Pennsylvania, June 15, 2013
On June 15, 2013 at about 5:13 pm local time, a 2012 amateur-built RV-7A, registered N954CH, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Altoona, Pennsylvania (Altoona-Blair County Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper recovery from an encounter with a wind gust during landing, which resulted in a hard landing on, and displacement of, the nose landing gear and a subsequent runway excursion and noseover.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 15, 2013 · about 5:13 pm local time
- Place
- Altoona, Pennsylvania · Altoona-Blair County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RV-7A, built 2012
- Registration
- N954CH · registry record · serial 71991
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that the airplane maintained 80 mph on final approach and slowed to 70 mph at touchdown. Upon touchdown on the main landing gear, the pilot reported that a wind gust occurred, and the airplane subsequently climbed and then landed hard on the nose landing gear, which bent under. The airplane then rolled off the runway onto grass and nosed over. The pilot reported no preimpact failure or malfunction that would have precluded normal operation. Both occupants reported having their lapbelts "snug" but not as tight as they could have been. Postaccident examination revealed that the nose landing gear was displaced and that a person's head with a similar sitting height as both occupants would have been about 1 inch below a crush line between the vertical stabilizer and the engine cowling. When the airplane inverted, both occupants struck their heads and sustained neck injuries that likely resulted from proximity of their heads to the canopy and might have been exacerbated by any slack in their restraints. Although postaccident measurements of the restraints confirm the occupants' statements that they were less than tight, anthropomorphic data for both occupants was not obtained, therefore; the amount of slack in either seat restraint was not conclusively determined.
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
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Nose/tail gear strut/axle › Capability exceeded
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 137 hours in all; 46 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: December 18, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 50 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, March 16, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Superior IO-360-A1LD2 (piston); 50 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: W24 Lynchburg VA at 3:50 pm
- Destination: AOO Altoona PA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 03, 5,645 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from AOO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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 ERA13LA288.