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19990612006829A

Accident · Substantial damage
Open the Markdown

FAA accident report · Amtr SX 300 · Ogden, UT · June 12, 1999

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 12, 1999 · 12:00 local
Place
Ogden, UT
Airport
Hill Afb Airport
Phase of flight
Ground Taxi, Other Airplane
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N120J
NTSB investigation
NTSBDEN99LA100
Reported as
Amtr SX300
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
19,414 total900 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days
N120JRegistered now · Butler John R SX 300S/N 60 · Built 1988Airframe modelButler John R SX 300Engine modelLycoming IO-540 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Acft was involved in an air show when its left main landing gear collapsed on landing. (From .19) on June 12, 1999, at 1200 mountain daylight time, a butler SX-300 homebuilt aircraft, N120J, sustained substantial damage when the left main landing gear collapsed during taxi from landing at Hill afb, Utah. The commercial pilot was no injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for this air show flight operating under title 14 CFR part 91 and no flight plan was filed. The flight departed Hill afb at 1150. According to preliminary information, the pilot was taxiing the aircraft to the ramp following landing and the left main landing gear collapsed when he made a turn. (-23) see attached sheet (.4) on June 12, 1999, at 1200 mountain daylight time, a butler SX-300 homebuilt experimental aircraft, N120J, sustained substantial damage when the left main landing gear collapsed during taxi from landing at Hill afb, Ogden, Utah. The commercial pilot and sole occupant was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for this air show flight operating under ti tle 14 CFR part 91 and no flight plan was filed. The flight departed salt lake city, Utah, earlier in the day. The pilot said he was taxiing the aircraft to the ramp following landing and the left main landing gear collapsed when he made a turn. According to the federal aviation administration (FAA) inspector who examined the aircraft following the accident, the pilot had landing gear problems a few days before the accident. The pilot related to the FAA inspector that he had heard a loud "bang/thump" from the landing gear but could not find the origin. In a post-accident examination, the FAA inspector examined the left landing gear and determined the strut's outer trunnion flange had cracked and broke free from its attachment bolt. The inspector said this action allowed the strut to rotate forward. With this rotation, the actuator ram threaded rod end bent, then snapped free from the self-aligning anti-friction rod end assembly. The strut continued forward and impacted the fuselage causing damage to a structural bulkhead. Both sides of the empennage sustained damage and exhibited wrinkled skin panels.

As the FAA filed it

ACFT WAS INVOLVED IN AN AIR SHOW WHEN ITS LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED ON LANDING. (FROM .19) ON JUNE 12, 1999, AT 1200 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, A BUTLER SX-300 HOMEBUILT AIRCRAFT, N120J, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED DURING TAXI FROM LANDING AT HILL AFB, UTAH. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS NO INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THIS AIR SHOW FLIGHT OPERATING UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED HILL AFB AT 1150. ACCORDING TO PRELIMINARY INFORMATION, THE PILOT WAS TAXIING THE AIRCRAFT TO THE RAMP FOLLOWING LANDING AND THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED WHEN HE MADE A TURN. (-23) SEE ATTACHED SHEET (.4) ON JUNE 12, 1999, AT 1200 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, A BUTLER SX-300 HOMEBUILT EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT, N120J, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED DURING TAXI FROM LANDING AT HILL AFB, OGDEN, UTAH. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND SOLE OCCUPANT WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THIS AIR SHOW FLIGHT OPERATING UNDER TI TLE 14 CFR PART 91 AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, EARLIER IN THE DAY. THE PILOT SAID HE WAS TAXIING THE AIRCRAFT TO THE RAMP FOLLOWING LANDING AND THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED WHEN HE MADE A TURN. ACCORDING TO THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) INSPECTOR WHO EXAMINED THE AIRCRAFT FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT, THE PILOT HAD LANDING GEAR PROBLEMS A FEW DAYS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT RELATED TO THE FAA INSPECTOR THAT HE HAD HEARD A LOUD "BANG/THUMP" FROM THE LANDING GEAR BUT COULD NOT FIND THE ORIGIN. IN A POST-ACCIDENT EXAMINATION, THE FAA INSPECTOR EXAMINED THE LEFT LANDING GEAR AND DETERMINED THE STRUT'S OUTER TRUNNION FLANGE HAD CRACKED AND BROKE FREE FROM ITS ATTACHMENT BOLT. THE INSPECTOR SAID THIS ACTION ALLOWED THE STRUT TO ROTATE FORWARD. WITH THIS ROTATION, THE ACTUATOR RAM THREADED ROD END BENT, THEN SNAPPED FREE FROM THE SELF-ALIGNING ANTI-FRICTION ROD END ASSEMBLY. THE STRUT CONTINUED FORWARD AND IMPACTED THE FUSELAGE CAUSING DAMAGE TO A STRUCTURAL BULKHEAD. BOTH SIDES OF THE EMPENNAGE SUSTAINED DAMAGE AND EXHIBITED WRINKLED SKIN PANELS.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB DEN99LA100Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportHill Afb, UTA failure of the left main landing gear attachment for undetermined reasons.Jun 12, 1999 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N120J · 2

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 20120103000289ATakeoff: Rotation · Truth Or Conseq, NMOn January 3, 2012, at 1220 MST a Butler SX-30, N120J, registered to rainbow sports, inc., sustained a hard landing while on a personal flight, visual meterological conditions prevaileld at the time and a flight plan was not filed. The aircraft was…Jan 3, 2012 · Substantial damageIncident 20010903023639ILevel Off Touchdown · Salt Lake City, UT(-23) Aircraft departed slc, on climbout pilot noticed that the hydraulic power pack advisory light indicated it was still operating. Pilot turned the circuit breaker switch off. Pilot circled trying to extend the landing gear and flaps manually without…Sep 3, 2001 · Minor damage