What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
2020-11-17 Zenith CH-701 departed rwy 31 at Rochester (krst), MN. The plan was for a local training flight. At 1355L, on his first attempt at a landing for the day, the nose of the aircraft dropped hard to the runway all of a sudden. The impact collapsed the nose gear and the aircraft swerved left departing the paved surface. The aircraft came to a resting point 600 ft down the rwy, on the left side grass, within 20 feet from the pavement.
A collapsed nose gear, prop strike with broken composite blades and a dent to the leading edge slat of the right wing (believed from broken piece of composite prop blade) was the visible damage discovered. The damage level was defined as minor making this an incident.
This pilot had owned the aircraft for 3 months prior to this incident and put 15 hours on it in that timeframe as part of the total 171 hours on the aircraft. This pilot?s mechanic did adjust the aileron cables for clearance reasons. Maintenance logbook review identified that there was no annotation of resetting cable tension. The pilot stated he would follow up after maintenance action on the rebuild if discrepancies were discovered.
The pilot had been out of the cockpit for years. He participated in numerous ground school courses. One course was even titled, "rusty pilots". All 15 hours in the last year was in this aircraft and flown in the last couple of months.
At the time of the incident, the ATIS winds had been updated to 200/09, which put the pilot in a left quartering tailwind scenario. The pilot reported making a slow approach to land to give the aircraft in front of him time to clear the rwy, then as he slowed down in the flare, he felt what he thought was a gust and the nose immediately dropped hard collapsing the gear.
As the FAA filed it
2020-11-17 ZENITH CH-701 DEPARTED RWY 31 AT ROCHESTER (KRST), MN. THE PLAN WAS FOR A LOCAL TRAINING FLIGHT. AT 1355L, ON HIS FIRST ATTEMPT AT A LANDING FOR THE DAY, THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT DROPPED HARD TO THE RUNWAY ALL OF A SUDDEN. THE IMPACT COLLAPSED THE NOSE GEAR AND THE AIRCRAFT SWERVED LEFT DEPARTING THE PAVED SURFACE. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A RESTING POINT 600 FT DOWN THE RWY, ON THE LEFT SIDE GRASS, WITHIN 20 FEET FROM THE PAVEMENT.
A COLLAPSED NOSE GEAR, PROP STRIKE WITH BROKEN COMPOSITE BLADES AND A DENT TO THE LEADING EDGE SLAT OF THE RIGHT WING (BELIEVED FROM BROKEN PIECE OF COMPOSITE PROP BLADE) WAS THE VISIBLE DAMAGE DISCOVERED. THE DAMAGE LEVEL WAS DEFINED AS MINOR MAKING THIS AN INCIDENT.
THIS PILOT HAD OWNED THE AIRCRAFT FOR 3 MONTHS PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT AND PUT 15 HOURS ON IT IN THAT TIMEFRAME AS PART OF THE TOTAL 171 HOURS ON THE AIRCRAFT. THIS PILOT?S MECHANIC DID ADJUST THE AILERON CABLES FOR CLEARANCE REASONS. MAINTENANCE LOGBOOK REVIEW IDENTIFIED THAT THERE WAS NO ANNOTATION OF RESETTING CABLE TENSION. THE PILOT STATED HE WOULD FOLLOW UP AFTER MAINTENANCE ACTION ON THE REBUILD IF DISCREPANCIES WERE DISCOVERED.
THE PILOT HAD BEEN OUT OF THE COCKPIT FOR YEARS. HE PARTICIPATED IN NUMEROUS GROUND SCHOOL COURSES. ONE COURSE WAS EVEN TITLED, "RUSTY PILOTS". ALL 15 HOURS IN THE LAST YEAR WAS IN THIS AIRCRAFT AND FLOWN IN THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS.
AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, THE ATIS WINDS HAD BEEN UPDATED TO 200/09, WHICH PUT THE PILOT IN A LEFT QUARTERING TAILWIND SCENARIO. THE PILOT REPORTED MAKING A SLOW APPROACH TO LAND TO GIVE THE AIRCRAFT IN FRONT OF HIM TIME TO CLEAR THE RWY, THEN AS HE SLOWED DOWN IN THE FLARE, HE FELT WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS A GUST AND THE NOSE IMMEDIATELY DROPPED HARD COLLAPSING THE GEAR.