What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 7/30/2012, the pilot traveled to el dorado (keqa) to pick up a Flight design light sport aircraft (N640CT) to fly back to his home base near Hutchinson, Kansas. Once at keqa, the pilot received a checkout in the aircraft with an experienced instructor in this aircraft make/model consisting of some airport pattern work and takeoffs and landings. Prior to this instruction, the pilot had no previous experience in this particular aircraft make and model. After receiving the checkout, the pilot soloed the aircraft at keqa for one takeoff and landing and then departed solo back to his home field near Hutchinson, KS.
Nearing his home base, the pilot received a weather update by tuning into the Hutchinson ATIS in preparation for landing on his grass runway 8 miles s/w of huthinson (khut). The pilot set up for a 1 mile final to runway 9 at his home base. The pilot indicated he used 65 knots and 15 degrees of flaps for his landing approach. The touch down seemed normal, but after approximately 100-200 feet on the ground roll, the aircraft lurched left and exited the runway into an adjacent field were its nose wheel collapsed ultimately causing the aircraft to flip over onto its top.
The pilot had reported that the rudder pedals were stiff and did not respond to his inputs as expected during the landing roll out at his home base.
Because of this accident the aircraft received substantial damage, but the pilot was not injured as a result of the accident. The pilot provided a written statement highlighting the events that took place the day of the accident.
As the FAA filed it
ON 7/30/2012, THE PILOT TRAVELED TO EL DORADO (KEQA) TO PICK UP A FLIGHT DESIGN LIGHT SPORT AIRCRAFT (N640CT) TO FLY BACK TO HIS HOME BASE NEAR HUTCHINSON, KANSAS. ONCE AT KEQA, THE PILOT RECEIVED A CHECKOUT IN THE AIRCRAFT WITH AN EXPERIENCED INSTRUCTOR IN THIS AIRCRAFT MAKE/MODEL CONSISTING OF SOME AIRPORT PATTERN WORK AND TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS. PRIOR TO THIS INSTRUCTION, THE PILOT HAD NO PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE IN THIS PARTICULAR AIRCRAFT MAKE AND MODEL. AFTER RECEIVING THE CHECKOUT, THE PILOT SOLOED THE AIRCRAFT AT KEQA FOR ONE TAKEOFF AND LANDING AND THEN DEPARTED SOLO BACK TO HIS HOME FIELD NEAR HUTCHINSON, KS.
NEARING HIS HOME BASE, THE PILOT RECEIVED A WEATHER UPDATE BY TUNING INTO THE HUTCHINSON ATIS IN PREPARATION FOR LANDING ON HIS GRASS RUNWAY 8 MILES S/W OF HUTHINSON (KHUT). THE PILOT SET UP FOR A 1 MILE FINAL TO RUNWAY 9 AT HIS HOME BASE. THE PILOT INDICATED HE USED 65 KNOTS AND 15 DEGREES OF FLAPS FOR HIS LANDING APPROACH. THE TOUCH DOWN SEEMED NORMAL, BUT AFTER APPROXIMATELY 100-200 FEET ON THE GROUND ROLL, THE AIRCRAFT LURCHED LEFT AND EXITED THE RUNWAY INTO AN ADJACENT FIELD WERE ITS NOSE WHEEL COLLAPSED ULTIMATELY CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO FLIP OVER ONTO ITS TOP.
THE PILOT HAD REPORTED THAT THE RUDDER PEDALS WERE STIFF AND DID NOT RESPOND TO HIS INPUTS AS EXPECTED DURING THE LANDING ROLL OUT AT HIS HOME BASE.
BECAUSE OF THIS ACCIDENT THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, BUT THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED AS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT PROVIDED A WRITTEN STATEMENT HIGHLIGHTING THE EVENTS THAT TOOK PLACE THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N460CT · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.