Criteria for reporting aircraft accidents to or by the NTSB?

[rwanttaja]

Wes has the right of it; the reporting criteria is in NTSB 830, but it can be open to a bit of interpretation. "Accident" is defined as an occurence in which any person suffered serious injury or death, on in which the airplane receives "Substantial Damage," which is defined as "damage or failure which adversely affects the structural strength, performance, or flight characteristics of the aircraft, and which would normally require major repair or replacement of the affected component."

If it's a homebuilt, it's probably easier for the owner to dance around whether the damage requires "major repair".... "It's just some dinged sheet metal, I can fix it in a weekend." NTSB 830 includes other criteria for reporting, of course, but they don't really arise in most accidents.

We had one rather nasty accident here ~20 years ago where one of the homebuilt's occupants had a lot of 3rd degree burns and required extensive skin grafting. The owner successfully kept it out of the NTSB records by arguing that it was a taxi test of a vehicle that had not yet received FAA airworthiness or registration...thus wasn't an aircraft.

I've tried to pin NTSB guys down on whether they're required to investigate homebuilt accidents, and no one gave me a yes or a no. Certainly they do, but if a Gulfstream or something subsequently has an accident, you can bet the investigator will shunt the homebuilt aside.

Bob, the accident you're thinking about might be in the FAA Incident database:

http://www.asias.faa.gov/portal/page..._home/datainfo

Select the "AIDS Database Query Tool" link on the right.

Bob, if you can post a location and a more-exact date, I could dig a bit.

Ron Wanttaja

[bwilson4web]

Thanks everybody. I checked the FAA records and they have nothing either. I've already gotten pretty much all of the details from the newspaper report and other than confirming the landing direction and wind. Based upon reported impact trees '300 ft from end of runway, we're pretty sure he was landing heading south. There really isn't much more to add.

For those who are curious:

• 1,700 hrs on airframe
• conventional gear
• O-200
• 850 lbs empty weight
• bought the week before
• airport elevation ~6,600 ft., 5,000 ft, single runway, mountainous area, private strip, 11:00 AM crash

This particular model has history with conventional gear landings. But there are two, tricycle landing gear configurations and both are well documented. I don't like adding weight but a 'flying heavy' is better than a 'crashed light.'

Thanks again,
Bob Wilson

[martymayes]

I've tried to pin NTSB guys down on whether they're required to investigate homebuilt accidents, and no one gave me a yes or a no. Certainly they do, but if a Gulfstream or something subsequently has an accident, you can bet the investigator will shunt the homebuilt aside.

Unless the homebuilt pilot's name is John Denver.