Amateur-built 690C accident near Hot Springs, Virginia, May 24, 1999
On May 24, 1999 at about 2:55 pm local time, a amateur-built 690C, registered N840V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hot Springs, Virginia (Ingalls Field). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A hard landing due to the pilot's inadequate compensation for the wind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 24, 1999 · about 2:55 pm local time
- Place
- Hot Springs, Virginia · Ingalls Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built 690C
- Registration
- N840V · no longer on the register · serial 11727
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was landing in turbulent wind conditions, at a 3,792-foot elevation airport, with winds from 40 degrees to the right, at 26, gusting to 31 knots. The airplane touched down left of runway centerline, approximately 3,100 feet from the beginning of the 5,601-foot runway. The left main landing gear folded, and the airplane bounced. It then touched down on the right main landing gear, about 200 feet further down the runway. It then settled on the left propeller and fuselage about the 2,000 feet-remaining marker, and skidded an additional 1,100 feet. Post-flight examination revealed that the left main landing gear inboard retract cylinder clevis was fractured approximately 1 1/8 inches below the attaching bolt hole. Additionally, a crack at the center of the upper drag brace was found in the webbing where the landing gear door actuating mechanism attached. Laboratory examination of the fracture in the retract cylinder clevis revealed features typical of a bending overstress separation. Laboratory examination of the upper drag brace crack revealed small fatigue crack regions on both sides of a manufactured hole, with no evidence of preexisting mechanical damage, or other defects in the hole. Remaining portions of the crack in the upper drag brace were consistent with overstress.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 12,294 hours in all; 900 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 11,500 as pilot in command; 1,200 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,755 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 5, 1999; 55 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 10,375 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TPE 331-10 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LEX Lexington KY at 1:45 pm
- Destination: HSP
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 24, 5,601 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 26 knots, gusting 31
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,100 ft; scat at 1,800 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:59 pm from HSP
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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 N840V the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.