What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On April 21 at approximately 1642 UTC (1242 EDT), N18WN a home built experimental aircraft, had a collapse of their landing gear upon touching down on runway 29 at merrit Island airport (kcoi). The airport operations supervisor became aware of the situation and contacted the FAA regional operations center to notify of the situation. No injuries were reported, and the pilot did not go to the hospital.
By the time the airport operations supervisor arrived on scene, the owner of N18WN had already removed the aircraft from the runway and placed it in his hanger located in the north hangers at kcoi.
On April 25, 2019 the FAA iic arrived on-scene to inspect the damage of N18WN. An inspection revealed that the nose landing gear had separated at the strut attach points, the left main gear was still attached but was bent aft at an angle of approximately 80 degrees, and the right main landing gear was bent aft approximately 10 degrees. Each of the four propeller blades were sheared off at approximately half length. The engine baffles were no longer sealed indicating movement of the engine from the impact. Flight control continuity was established, and the pitot tube under the left wing was damaged.
Upon closer inspection the forward engine firewall did not indicate any wrinkling or damage. The top and underside of each wing did not indicate structural damage. Each main gear housing box within the wings did not indicate any structural damage. No damage to the primary flight control surfaces was evident.
On April 24, 2019 a witness to the event came forward and provided a statement. The witness stated that the approach to the runway appeared normal; however, upon initial touchdown the airplane bounced rather high, approximately 4-6 feet in the air, then impacted the surface causing the gear collapse.
As the FAA filed it
ON APRIL 21 AT APPROXIMATELY 1642 UTC (1242 EDT), N18WN A HOME BUILT EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT, HAD A COLLAPSE OF THEIR LANDING GEAR UPON TOUCHING DOWN ON RUNWAY 29 AT MERRIT ISLAND AIRPORT (KCOI). THE AIRPORT OPERATIONS SUPERVISOR BECAME AWARE OF THE SITUATION AND CONTACTED THE FAA REGIONAL OPERATIONS CENTER TO NOTIFY OF THE SITUATION. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED, AND THE PILOT DID NOT GO TO THE HOSPITAL.
BY THE TIME THE AIRPORT OPERATIONS SUPERVISOR ARRIVED ON SCENE, THE OWNER OF N18WN HAD ALREADY REMOVED THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE RUNWAY AND PLACED IT IN HIS HANGER LOCATED IN THE NORTH HANGERS AT KCOI.
ON APRIL 25, 2019 THE FAA IIC ARRIVED ON-SCENE TO INSPECT THE DAMAGE OF N18WN. AN INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE NOSE LANDING GEAR HAD SEPARATED AT THE STRUT ATTACH POINTS, THE LEFT MAIN GEAR WAS STILL ATTACHED BUT WAS BENT AFT AT AN ANGLE OF APPROXIMATELY 80 DEGREES, AND THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR WAS BENT AFT APPROXIMATELY 10 DEGREES. EACH OF THE FOUR PROPELLER BLADES WERE SHEARED OFF AT APPROXIMATELY HALF LENGTH. THE ENGINE BAFFLES WERE NO LONGER SEALED INDICATING MOVEMENT OF THE ENGINE FROM THE IMPACT. FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED, AND THE PITOT TUBE UNDER THE LEFT WING WAS DAMAGED.
UPON CLOSER INSPECTION THE FORWARD ENGINE FIREWALL DID NOT INDICATE ANY WRINKLING OR DAMAGE. THE TOP AND UNDERSIDE OF EACH WING DID NOT INDICATE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. EACH MAIN GEAR HOUSING BOX WITHIN THE WINGS DID NOT INDICATE ANY STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. NO DAMAGE TO THE PRIMARY FLIGHT CONTROL SURFACES WAS EVIDENT.
ON APRIL 24, 2019 A WITNESS TO THE EVENT CAME FORWARD AND PROVIDED A STATEMENT. THE WITNESS STATED THAT THE APPROACH TO THE RUNWAY APPEARED NORMAL; HOWEVER, UPON INITIAL TOUCHDOWN THE AIRPLANE BOUNCED RATHER HIGH, APPROXIMATELY 4-6 FEET IN THE AIR, THEN IMPACTED THE SURFACE CAUSING THE GEAR COLLAPSE.
Other reports on N18WN · 1
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