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20110919025699A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Heinlein George GH125 · Okeechobee, FL · September 19, 2011

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
September 19, 2011 · 09:35 local
Place
Okeechobee, FL
Airport
Okeechobee County
Phase of flight
Taxi
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N79GH
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA11LA519
Reported as
Heinlein George GH125
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-290 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Student
Pilot’s flight hours
270 total200 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days
N79GHRegistration cancelled Dec 2, 2019 · Heinlein George GH125S/N 01 · Built 1993Airframe modelHeinlein George GH125Engine modelLycoming 0-290 series4 cycle

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.

An experimental aircraft owner on a pleasure flight departing valkaria airport (X59) decided to land at the Okeechobee (obe) airport for reasons undisclosed and not aircraft related. After landing and taxing on runway 5 approached the intersection for the ramp near the FBO. While taxing his right gear leg collapsed, rolling it up under the fuselage causing the aircraft to make 180 degree turn. The propeller also struck the ground and was destroyed in impact. Finally the aircraft came to rest on the lower right side fuselage. Other damage included fabric tears, antenna damage but most noteworthy is the right wing broke at the spar approximately 5 feet inboard from the tip. Further investigation after the aircraft was transported back to valkaria, shows the gear leg failure came from the main fuselage attachment bolt broke at the shaft leaving the securing nut & cotter pin intact and the saddle bracket could not restrain the gear in the stationary position. The probable cause may be metal fatigue encompassed with age and the possibility of hard landings over a period of time.

As the FAA filed it

AN EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT OWNER ON A PLEASURE FLIGHT DEPARTING VALKARIA AIRPORT (X59) DECIDED TO LAND AT THE OKEECHOBEE (OBE) AIRPORT FOR REASONS UNDISCLOSED AND NOT AIRCRAFT RELATED. AFTER LANDING AND TAXING ON RUNWAY 5 APPROACHED THE INTERSECTION FOR THE RAMP NEAR THE FBO. WHILE TAXING HIS RIGHT GEAR LEG COLLAPSED, ROLLING IT UP UNDER THE FUSELAGE CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO MAKE 180 DEGREE TURN. THE PROPELLER ALSO STRUCK THE GROUND AND WAS DESTROYED IN IMPACT. FINALLY THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON THE LOWER RIGHT SIDE FUSELAGE. OTHER DAMAGE INCLUDED FABRIC TEARS, ANTENNA DAMAGE BUT MOST NOTEWORTHY IS THE RIGHT WING BROKE AT THE SPAR APPROXIMATELY 5 FEET INBOARD FROM THE TIP. FURTHER INVESTIGATION AFTER THE AIRCRAFT WAS TRANSPORTED BACK TO VALKARIA, SHOWS THE GEAR LEG FAILURE CAME FROM THE MAIN FUSELAGE ATTACHMENT BOLT BROKE AT THE SHAFT LEAVING THE SECURING NUT & COTTER PIN INTACT AND THE SADDLE BRACKET COULD NOT RESTRAIN THE GEAR IN THE STATIONARY POSITION. THE PROBABLE CAUSE MAY BE METAL FATIGUE ENCOMPASSED WITH AGE AND THE POSSIBILITY OF HARD LANDINGS OVER A PERIOD OF TIME.

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 ERA11LA519Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportOkeechobee, FLThe non-certificated pilot's improper flare on an earlier flight, which resulted in a hard landing, fracture of the right main landing gear bolt, and subsequent collapse of the right main landing gear.Sep 19, 2011 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N79GH · 1

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

Accident 20180208002169ALanding: Rollout · Valkaria, FLOn 02/08/2018, after purchasing a bakeng deuce (homebuilt) aircraft, the pilot was practicing takeoffs & landings. There was heavy traffic of student pilots that he was aware of. Twice when on final he was cut off after which he made a go around. When the…Feb 8, 2018 · Substantial damage