What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Narrative: on 07/02/96 at 1355 PDT a Varga 2150A, N5601B, was involved in a landing incident at the Palo Alto (pao), CA airport. The pilot stated that he had been performing local close in pattern work for approximately one hour prior to the incident at the pao airport. He stated that he was acting as pilot in command from the rear seat of the aircraft at the time of the incident, and that the passenger in the front seat was a CFI. He stated that the practice work being conducted included short field landings. He stated that the plane stalled at approximately 5' AGL and contacted the runway very hard. The plane then bounced approximately 10-15' into the air and touched down approximately 100' further down the runway. On the second touchdown the left wing settled due to the left hand (LH) main landing gear (MLG) lower section separating from the aircraft. The aircraft traveled 406' from the initial point where the landing gear trunnion contacted the runway, coming to rest on the runway. The aircraft sustained minor damage limited to the LH and right hand (RH) MLG, the LH flap, and the LH horizontal stabilizer. The lhm lg lower strut separated, leaving the upper section of the lower strut contained within the gear trunnion. The lhmlg wheel, brake, lower section of the strut, lower torque link, and brake hose contacted the LH horizontal stabilizer, damaging the leading edge. The LH flap outboard trailing edge is damaged due to contact with the runway. The rhmlg lower strut is bent in the same area as the lhmlg strut separation occurred.
As the FAA filed it
NARRATIVE: ON 07/02/96 AT 1355 PDT A VARGA 2150A, N5601B, WAS INVOLVED IN A LANDING INCIDENT AT THE PALO ALTO (PAO), CA AIRPORT. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD BEEN PERFORMING LOCAL CLOSE IN PATTERN WORK FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT AT THE PAO AIRPORT. HE STATED THAT HE WAS ACTING AS PILOT IN COMMAND FROM THE REAR SEAT OF THE AIRCRAFT AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, AND THAT THE PASSENGER IN THE FRONT SEAT WAS A CFI. HE STATED THAT THE PRACTICE WORK BEING CONDUCTED INCLUDED SHORT FIELD LANDINGS. HE STATED THAT THE PLANE STALLED AT APPROXIMATELY 5' AGL AND CONTACTED THE RUNWAY VERY HARD. THE PLANE THEN BOUNCED APPROXIMATELY 10-15' INTO THE AIR AND TOUCHED DOWN APPROXIMATELY 100' FURTHER DOWN THE RUNWAY. ON THE SECOND TOUCHDOWN THE LEFT WING SETTLED DUE TO THE LEFT HAND (LH) MAIN LANDING GEAR (MLG) LOWER SECTION SEPARATING FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT TRAVELED 406' FROM THE INITIAL POINT WHERE THE LANDING GEAR TRUNNION CONTACTED THE RUNWAY, COMING TO REST ON THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE LIMITED TO THE LH AND RIGHT HAND (RH) MLG, THE LH FLAP, AND THE LH HORIZONTAL STABILIZER. THE LHM LG LOWER STRUT SEPARATED, LEAVING THE UPPER SECTION OF THE LOWER STRUT CONTAINED WITHIN THE GEAR TRUNNION. THE LHMLG WHEEL, BRAKE, LOWER SECTION OF THE STRUT, LOWER TORQUE LINK, AND BRAKE HOSE CONTACTED THE LH HORIZONTAL STABILIZER, DAMAGING THE LEADING EDGE. THE LH FLAP OUTBOARD TRAILING EDGE IS DAMAGED DUE TO CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY. THE RHMLG LOWER STRUT IS BENT IN THE SAME AREA AS THE LHMLG STRUT SEPARATION OCCURRED.
Other reports on N5601B · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.