# Accident 19980321004089A: Amtr ZITOZMIA, Ogden, UT, March 21, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 21, 1998, 07:33 local time
- Place: Ogden, UT
- Airport: Ogden-Hinckley Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 41.1501° N, 111.9799° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.1501&lon=-111.9799&mi=10
- Aircraft: N669Z, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N669Z-2013-04-15) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Zito Tommy E ZITO ZM1A (registry code 05623XK, https://openairdocs.org/model/zito-tommy-e-zito-zm1a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental 0-300 series (registry code 17022, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-0-300-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AMTR ZITOZMIA
- Reported engine: CONT O300*
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 3,000 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW98LA155](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98LA155) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980321004089A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

BECAME AIRBORNE ON HIGH SPEED TAXI TEST. BOUNCED LANDING. AIRBORNE AGAIN. MADE HARD LANDING. BROKE OFF NOSE GEAR. (.4)THE PILOT WAS CLEARED TO RUNWAY 03 TO PERFORM A HIGH SPEED TAXI. HE REPORTEDLY TOLD THE TOWER CONTROLLER THAT 'IF THINGS FEEL RIGHT,' HE WOULD FLY. THE PILOT SAID HE ATTAINED APPROXIMATELY 80 MILES PER HOUR, 'PULLED BACK SLOWLY ON THE YOKE AND EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN NOSE PITCH UP. I MUST HAVE PUSHED DOWN ON THE YOKE AND THE NOSE CAME DOWN,' AND THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE BEGAN PORPOISING BEFORE STRIKING THE RUNWAY AGAIN AND COLLAPSING THE NOSE LANDING GEAR. THE AIRPLANE THEN SKIDDED TO A STOP. THE PILOT SAID HE HAD PLACED 90 POUNDS OF LEAD BALLAST IN THE NOSE AREA TO SIMULATE THE WEIGHT OF A PASSENGER. ACCORDING TO AN FAA INSPECTOR, THE BALLAST SHOULD HAVE BEEN PLACED IN THE PASSENGER SEAT TO CORRECTLY SIMULATE A PASSENGER ON BOARD.                                                               (-23)AMATEUR-BUILT, ONE-OF-A-KIND DESIGN AIRCRAFT.  PILOT TOLD FAA IIC DID NOT INTEND TO FLY.  PILOT TOLD NTSB DIFFERENTLY.  DURING A HIGH SPPED TAXI AIRCRAFT BECAME AIRBORNE.  PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LAND AIRCRAFT.  AIRCRAFT BOUN                                    CED AND BECAME AIRBRONE AGAIN, PILOT CORRECTED, AIRCRAFT LANDED HARD ON NOSE. NOSE GEAR BROKE, AIRCRAFT SLID 687 FEET TO A STOP.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB FTW98LA155](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98LA155), Mar 21, 1998: Zito ZMI-A (N669Z), Ogden, UT, substantial damage. Probable cause: the improper placement of lead ballast by the pilot, resulting in an improper balance of the airplane; and the pilot's excessive control input to correct a nose high attitude, resulting in ground…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.
