What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The FAA safety team received an email from the Lake Wales Municipal Airport manager on September 5, 2018 expressing concern that an accident occurred on the airport runway 17/35, which may not have been reported. Further investigation revealed an aircraft owner of a Airborne edge z classic, experimental light sport operating as a student pilot took off from Lake Wales Municipal Airport on Saturday, August 25, 2018 at 0700 and upon landing the aircraft after 30 minutes of flight, lost control and experienced a hard landing. The privacy data omitted pilot did not report the accident because he did not consider it an accident. On September 13, 2018, inspectors from this office met with the student pilot at the hangar where his aircraft N4577C was located since the accident. The aircraft center frame bar was broken almost all the way through at the nose gear attachment point, the left wing control tube was bent and two other aluminum wing support tubes were also bent. The student pilot stated he flew the aircraft alone on the day of the accident and in his statement he stated he didn?t flare soon enough while landing. This flight was the students second solo flight.
As the FAA filed it
THE FAA SAFETY TEAM RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM THE LAKE WALES MUNICIPAL AIRPORT MANAGER ON SEPTEMBER 5, 2018 EXPRESSING CONCERN THAT AN ACCIDENT OCCURRED ON THE AIRPORT RUNWAY 17/35, WHICH MAY NOT HAVE BEEN REPORTED. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED AN AIRCRAFT OWNER OF A AIRBORNE EDGE Z CLASSIC, EXPERIMENTAL LIGHT SPORT OPERATING AS A STUDENT PILOT TOOK OFF FROM LAKE WALES MUNICIPAL AIRPORT ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 25, 2018 AT 0700 AND UPON LANDING THE AIRCRAFT AFTER 30 MINUTES OF FLIGHT, LOST CONTROL AND EXPERIENCED A HARD LANDING. THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PILOT DID NOT REPORT THE ACCIDENT BECAUSE HE DID NOT CONSIDER IT AN ACCIDENT. ON SEPTEMBER 13, 2018, INSPECTORS FROM THIS OFFICE MET WITH THE STUDENT PILOT AT THE HANGAR WHERE HIS AIRCRAFT N4577C WAS LOCATED SINCE THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT CENTER FRAME BAR WAS BROKEN ALMOST ALL THE WAY THROUGH AT THE NOSE GEAR ATTACHMENT POINT, THE LEFT WING CONTROL TUBE WAS BENT AND TWO OTHER ALUMINUM WING SUPPORT TUBES WERE ALSO BENT. THE STUDENT PILOT STATED HE FLEW THE AIRCRAFT ALONE ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT AND IN HIS STATEMENT HE STATED HE DIDN?T FLARE SOON ENOUGH WHILE LANDING. THIS FLIGHT WAS THE STUDENTS SECOND SOLO FLIGHT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.