Amateur-built VANS RV-6A N7FJ accident near Hendersonville, North Carolina

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to go-around during an unstable approach, which resulted in a hard landing, runway excursion, and nose over.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that following a normal approach to landing, about 20 ft above the runway he encountered a “slight tail wind.” He reported that at this point, “I should have gone around” but he believed the landing was salvageable. Subsequently, the airplane touched down hard, and he maneuvered the airplane off the runway into grass where the airplane nosed over. The empennage and fuselage sustained substantial damage.

The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA22LA232 for the full record.