What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On April 15, 2017, about 1100 eastern standard time in camden county Georgia, N340TP 2006 Aeropro Cz eurofox light sport experimental was attempting to land in a private grass strip when the nose gear collapsed causing the aircraft to flip on its back and come to rest. There was one person on board who was uninjured and the aircraft sustained substantial damage. The airplane was registered to a private individual and was operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91. Day, visual meteorological conditions prevailed.
During an interview with the pilot he stated that he was landing the plane in a northeast direction and had to clear some trees (approx. 50 ft) near the approach end of the field. As he cleared the trees he entered into a slip to lose some altitude and to align with the field. He stated that the plane descended very quickly and touched down on the main landing gear and when the nose wheel contacted the surface, it dug into some soft sand causing the nose strut to fold back, thereby causing the nose of the plane to contact the surface, subsequently flipping the plane on its back.
On April 19, 2017 an FAA inspector from the atlanta flight standards district office was dispatched to perform an investigation as to the cause of the gear collapsing during landing. Once on scene the investigator identified markings on the ground starting with the nose gear divot followed by several prop strikes, and then scaring caused by the cowl/spinner as the aircraft flipped over at total distance of 50 yards. An examination of the aircraft showed substantial damage as all prop blades were damaged, the engine was broken off the mount and the crankshaft was bent. The nose gear was folded back with its mounts bent and broken. The wing struts were folded and the vertical fin was crushed.
The accident occurred at the oakwell r/c air field in Kingsland, Georgia during a model airplane air show. The privacy data omittedoperator of the aircraft was displaying and demonstrating his aircraft during the show when the accident occurred. The local news station was on scene and recorded the entire accident on film. A review of the video footage showed that on landing the pilot descended at an unusual high descent rate and struck the nose landing gear which caused the gear to collapse and the aircraft to flip over on its back. Refer to the following website to review video footage.
Http://www.NEWS4JAX.com/small-airplane-crashes-at-model-airshow?workflowassetpreview=true&version=1&TEMPLATEID=story
As the FAA filed it
ON APRIL 15, 2017, ABOUT 1100 EASTERN STANDARD TIME IN CAMDEN COUNTY GEORGIA, N340TP 2006 AEROPRO CZ EUROFOX LIGHT SPORT EXPERIMENTAL WAS ATTEMPTING TO LAND IN A PRIVATE GRASS STRIP WHEN THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO FLIP ON ITS BACK AND COME TO REST. THERE WAS ONE PERSON ON BOARD WHO WAS UNINJURED AND THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL AND WAS OPERATED BY THE PILOT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91. DAY, VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED.
DURING AN INTERVIEW WITH THE PILOT HE STATED THAT HE WAS LANDING THE PLANE IN A NORTHEAST DIRECTION AND HAD TO CLEAR SOME TREES (APPROX. 50 FT) NEAR THE APPROACH END OF THE FIELD. AS HE CLEARED THE TREES HE ENTERED INTO A SLIP TO LOSE SOME ALTITUDE AND TO ALIGN WITH THE FIELD. HE STATED THAT THE PLANE DESCENDED VERY QUICKLY AND TOUCHED DOWN ON THE MAIN LANDING GEAR AND WHEN THE NOSE WHEEL CONTACTED THE SURFACE, IT DUG INTO SOME SOFT SAND CAUSING THE NOSE STRUT TO FOLD BACK, THEREBY CAUSING THE NOSE OF THE PLANE TO CONTACT THE SURFACE, SUBSEQUENTLY FLIPPING THE PLANE ON ITS BACK.
ON APRIL 19, 2017 AN FAA INSPECTOR FROM THE ATLANTA FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE WAS DISPATCHED TO PERFORM AN INVESTIGATION AS TO THE CAUSE OF THE GEAR COLLAPSING DURING LANDING. ONCE ON SCENE THE INVESTIGATOR IDENTIFIED MARKINGS ON THE GROUND STARTING WITH THE NOSE GEAR DIVOT FOLLOWED BY SEVERAL PROP STRIKES, AND THEN SCARING CAUSED BY THE COWL/SPINNER AS THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED OVER AT TOTAL DISTANCE OF 50 YARDS. AN EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT SHOWED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AS ALL PROP BLADES WERE DAMAGED, THE ENGINE WAS BROKEN OFF THE MOUNT AND THE CRANKSHAFT WAS BENT. THE NOSE GEAR WAS FOLDED BACK WITH ITS MOUNTS BENT AND BROKEN. THE WING STRUTS WERE FOLDED AND THE VERTICAL FIN WAS CRUSHED.
THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED AT THE OAKWELL R/C AIR FIELD IN KINGSLAND, GEORGIA DURING A MODEL AIRPLANE AIR SHOW. THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^OPERATOR OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS DISPLAYING AND DEMONSTRATING HIS AIRCRAFT DURING THE SHOW WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE LOCAL NEWS STATION WAS ON SCENE AND RECORDED THE ENTIRE ACCIDENT ON FILM. A REVIEW OF THE VIDEO FOOTAGE SHOWED THAT ON LANDING THE PILOT DESCENDED AT AN UNUSUAL HIGH DESCENT RATE AND STRUCK THE NOSE LANDING GEAR WHICH CAUSED THE GEAR TO COLLAPSE AND THE AIRCRAFT TO FLIP OVER ON ITS BACK. REFER TO THE FOLLOWING WEBSITE TO REVIEW VIDEO FOOTAGE.
HTTP://WWW.NEWS4JAX.COM/SMALL-AIRPLANE-CRASHES-AT-MODEL-AIRSHOW?WORKFLOWASSETPREVIEW=TRUE&VERSION=1&TEMPLATEID=STORY
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.