Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from berms during landing in sun glare conditions.
NTSB analysis
The pilot reported that that the sun was in his eyes as he was landing his low-wing airplane. He said that there were 3-ft-high berms in the area where the airplane touched down and that the runway was about 30 ft wide. The left wing struck the berm and the weeds. The propeller then impacted the berm, followed by the right wing and tailwheel. The right wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions of the airplane.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN17CA345 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Sep 9, 2017
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Ramah, New Mexico
- Nearest airport
- Mystic Bluffs (NM56)
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Amateur-built RV-4
- N-number
- N70RV
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 1991
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.