What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Received the following written statement from the pilot.
"Concerning the incident about the skyranger ii N132ES. I took off with one other person, [CFI name] my CFI, for training flying my three axis control plane. We were wheels up at 0800. We went to training area with an alt of about 5000FT. We did 360DEG turns both left and right and some slow flight at about 50MPH. Also we flew straight and level most of the time with me flying. Also did hands off with trim and straight and level, all was normal and we went back to E77 ray blair airport to enter down wind for 11 at a 45DEG angle at pattern alt. With normal radio com. Entered base leg I asked if he wanted to land the plane and he said I was doing fine and it was decided I would land, then turned to final. Airspeed was at 63 to 65 mph and a descent at 300 ft per min. Crossed the numbers at 63-65 mph did a normal round out and all was good. I was a little left of center, so I applied some right rudder to center up plane come down bounced and during this time the left landing gear was damaged and front landing gear and prop damaged. As for after I applied right rudder, and it came down, it happened so fast I could not give good details. We came to stop 10 or 15 foot left of the runway. We got out, fuel was turn off and electrical was turned off no one was injured this happed at about 08:45."
Received the following statemenet from the CFI:
"Prior to approach the decision was made to have [student] land the airplane. His control at altitude was the smoothest. The 45 deg. Entry, downwind, base and final were smooth (65 mph and 4400 RPM and 200-300 fpm descent). At about 5 ft. altitude just past the numbers I noticed the nose beginning to yaw slightly to the left. [Student] applied right rudder to correct the yaw but its effect resulted in a large yaw to the right. This was immediately followed by a pio with the nose gear impacting the runway first followed by a hard touchdown by the left main gear. At this point the left wheel assembly failed and the left wheel strut contacted the runway. This brought the nose gear down violently. It failed and lodged beneath the nose resulting in the propeller striking the runway. With the left wheel strut dragging on the runway and the nose gear folded under the nose, the aircraft began a skid to the left and came to a rest off the runway (tail 5-10 feet off the runway) approximately 1000 from the approach end of the runway. At this time we both exited the aircraft unhurt."
As the FAA filed it
RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING WRITTEN STATEMENT FROM THE PILOT.
"CONCERNING THE INCIDENT ABOUT THE SKYRANGER II N132ES. I TOOK OFF WITH ONE OTHER PERSON, [CFI NAME] MY CFI, FOR TRAINING FLYING MY THREE AXIS CONTROL PLANE. WE WERE WHEELS UP AT 0800. WE WENT TO TRAINING AREA WITH AN ALT OF ABOUT 5000FT. WE DID 360DEG TURNS BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT AND SOME SLOW FLIGHT AT ABOUT 50MPH. ALSO WE FLEW STRAIGHT AND LEVEL MOST OF THE TIME WITH ME FLYING. ALSO DID HANDS OFF WITH TRIM AND STRAIGHT AND LEVEL, ALL WAS NORMAL AND WE WENT BACK TO E77 RAY BLAIR AIRPORT TO ENTER DOWN WIND FOR 11 AT A 45DEG ANGLE AT PATTERN ALT. WITH NORMAL RADIO COM. ENTERED BASE LEG I ASKED IF HE WANTED TO LAND THE PLANE AND HE SAID I WAS DOING FINE AND IT WAS DECIDED I WOULD LAND, THEN TURNED TO FINAL. AIRSPEED WAS AT 63 TO 65 MPH AND A DESCENT AT 300 FT PER MIN. CROSSED THE NUMBERS AT 63-65 MPH DID A NORMAL ROUND OUT AND ALL WAS GOOD. I WAS A LITTLE LEFT OF CENTER, SO I APPLIED SOME RIGHT RUDDER TO CENTER UP PLANE COME DOWN BOUNCED AND DURING THIS TIME THE LEFT LANDING GEAR WAS DAMAGED AND FRONT LANDING GEAR AND PROP DAMAGED. AS FOR AFTER I APPLIED RIGHT RUDDER, AND IT CAME DOWN, IT HAPPENED SO FAST I COULD NOT GIVE GOOD DETAILS. WE CAME TO STOP 10 OR 15 FOOT LEFT OF THE RUNWAY. WE GOT OUT, FUEL WAS TURN OFF AND ELECTRICAL WAS TURNED OFF NO ONE WAS INJURED THIS HAPPED AT ABOUT 08:45."
RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING STATEMENET FROM THE CFI:
"PRIOR TO APPROACH THE DECISION WAS MADE TO HAVE [STUDENT] LAND THE AIRPLANE. HIS CONTROL AT ALTITUDE WAS THE SMOOTHEST. THE 45 DEG. ENTRY, DOWNWIND, BASE AND FINAL WERE SMOOTH (65 MPH AND 4400 RPM AND 200-300 FPM DESCENT). AT ABOUT 5 FT. ALTITUDE JUST PAST THE NUMBERS I NOTICED THE NOSE BEGINNING TO YAW SLIGHTLY TO THE LEFT. [STUDENT] APPLIED RIGHT RUDDER TO CORRECT THE YAW BUT ITS EFFECT RESULTED IN A LARGE YAW TO THE RIGHT. THIS WAS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY A PIO WITH THE NOSE GEAR IMPACTING THE RUNWAY FIRST FOLLOWED BY A HARD TOUCHDOWN BY THE LEFT MAIN GEAR. AT THIS POINT THE LEFT WHEEL ASSEMBLY FAILED AND THE LEFT WHEEL STRUT CONTACTED THE RUNWAY. THIS BROUGHT THE NOSE GEAR DOWN VIOLENTLY. IT FAILED AND LODGED BENEATH THE NOSE RESULTING IN THE PROPELLER STRIKING THE RUNWAY. WITH THE LEFT WHEEL STRUT DRAGGING ON THE RUNWAY AND THE NOSE GEAR FOLDED UNDER THE NOSE, THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN A SKID TO THE LEFT AND CAME TO A REST OFF THE RUNWAY (TAIL 5-10 FEET OFF THE RUNWAY) APPROXIMATELY 1000 FROM THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY. AT THIS TIME WE BOTH EXITED THE AIRCRAFT UNHURT."
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.