# Accident 20170921021539A: Hencken William PIETENPOL AIR CAMPER, Franklin, PA, September 21, 2017

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 21, 2017, 09:54 local time
- Place: Franklin, PA
- Airport: Venango Regional Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Departure Roll
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 41.3778° N, 79.8603° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.3778&lon=-79.8603&mi=10
- Aircraft: N40WH, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N40WH-2019-03-20) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Hencken William PIETENPOL AIR CAMPER (registry code 7040261, https://openairdocs.org/model/hencken-william-pietenpol-air-camper) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental A&C75 series (registry code 17005, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-a-c75-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: HENCKEN WILLIAM PIETENPOL AIR CAMPER
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 210 total, 6 in this make and model, 10 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB GAA17CA552](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA17CA552) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20170921021539A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

THE PILOT STATED THAT, "HE TAXIED TO RUNWAY 21, SLOWLY BROUGHT THE POWER UP, USING THE CENTERLINE TO THE LEFT AS REFERENCE.  THE TAIL CAME UP AND STARTED TAKEOFF, I DON?T REMEMBER ANYTHING UNTIL I WAS HANGING UPSIDE DOWN".

A WITNESS STATED THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED 2 TIMES, WENT OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY ONTO GRASS, CAME DOWN ON THE LEFT HAND LANDING GEAR BREAKING A REPAIR WELD ON THE AXLE.  THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED OVER ONTO ITS TOP WING UPSIDE DOWN, COMING TO REST AT THE 1000 FOOT MARK.  THE LEFT WHEEL WITH AXLE INSIDE WAS FOUND IN THE GRASS AT THE INTERSECTION NORTH OF RUNWAYS 21 AND 12, APPROXIMATELY 250 FEET FROM THE AIRCRAFT.

THE AIRCRAFT WAS MOVED INTO A T-HANGAR PRIOR TO FAA ARRIVAL ON SCENE.  DAMAGE CONSISTED OF THE RIGHT WING BROKEN IN HALF AT THE CENTER OF THE WING, LEFT WING FAIRING HAD SCREWS PULLED AWAY FROM THE BOTTOM ROOT OF THE WING, AND TORN CANVAS AT THE ANCHOR POINTS TO THE CENTER WING.  CONTINUITY OF FLIGHT CONTROLS WAS CONFIRMED.  THE TOP OF THE RUDDER IS BROKEN IN HALF, BOTH PROPELLER BLADES ARE SHEARED OFF, AND THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR WHEEL WAS BROKEN OFF AT AN AXLE WELD.  THE LEFT HAND MAIN LANDING GEAR TIRE IS FLAT WITH TWO GOUGES.  BOTH WITNESS AND PILOT STATED THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING STRONG.

UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, THE SECONDARY FACTOR OF THE WELD TO THE LEFT LANDING GEAR AXLE NOT PENETRATING THROUGHOUT THE REPAIRED AXLE TUBE, INCREASED THE SEVERITY OF THE ACCIDENT.  THE LEFT TIRE HAD A GOUGE RADIALLY INBOARD WITH BLACK SILICONE SMEARED INTO THE CUT.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB GAA17CA552](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA17CA552), Sep 21, 2017: Hencken William Pietenpol AIR Camper (N40WH), Franklin, PA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The failure of the weld that connects the left main landing gear and the axle during the takeoff roll.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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