20120505007839A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Evektor-Aerotechnik SPORTSTAR PLUS · Houston, TX · May 5, 2012

Date: May 5, 2012 · 12:15 local
Place: Houston, TX
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N919LA
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN12CA281
Reported as: Evektor-Aerotechnik Sportstar Plus
Reported engine: ROTAX 912ULS
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Sport pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 55 total43 in this make and model8 in the last 90 days

N919LARegistered now · Evektor-Aerotechnik SPORTSTAR PLUSS/N 20070919 · Built 2007 Airframe modelEvektor-Aerotechnik SPORTSTAR PLUS Engine modelRotax 912ULS 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.

Pilot stated he touched down harder than expected. This caused aircraft to bounce. Upon the third bounce the nose gear wheel forks bent 90 degrees upward into the engine firewall. This caused the firewall to bow inward which caused the engine mounts to be compromised as well. This is considered substantial damage to the aircraft. After nose gear forks bent upward this caused the propeller to strike the ground which resulted in the aircraft sliding about 75 feet near the edge of runway.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT STATED HE TOUCHED DOWN HARDER THAN EXPECTED. THIS CAUSED AIRCRAFT TO BOUNCE. UPON THE THIRD BOUNCE THE NOSE GEAR WHEEL FORKS BENT 90 DEGREES UPWARD INTO THE ENGINE FIREWALL. THIS CAUSED THE FIREWALL TO BOW INWARD WHICH CAUSED THE ENGINE MOUNTS TO BE COMPROMISED AS WELL. THIS IS CONSIDERED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. AFTER NOSE GEAR FORKS BENT UPWARD THIS CAUSED THE PROPELLER TO STRIKE THE GROUND WHICH RESULTED IN THE AIRCRAFT SLIDING ABOUT 75 FEET NEAR THE EDGE OF RUNWAY.

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 CEN12CA281Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportHouston, TXThe pilot’s improper recovery from a bounced landing.May 5, 2012 · Substantial damage