20210317002619A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Burg Frederick S ZEN CH701 · Shepherd, MT · March 17, 2021

Date: March 17, 2021 · 11:50 local
Place: Shepherd, MT
Airport: Private Strip
Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N43442
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR21LA138
Reported as: Burg Frederick S ZEN CH701
Reported engine: ROTAX 912UL series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 885 total56 in this make and model18 in the last 90 days

N43442Registration cancelled Feb 4, 2023 · Burg Frederick S ZEN CH701S/N 7-6471 · Built 2010 Airframe modelBurg Frederick S ZEN CH701 Engine modelRotax 912UL series4 cycle

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

The PIC, privacy data omitted, of N43442 did six "stop and go" landings on his landing strip with no issues. He went and flew around for an hour and came back for his final landing. On approach he took some power out to descend for landing. About 40FT AGL he noticed the sink rate was to fast so he added power to arrest the descent and flared. The mains hit (nose did not) and the aircraft bounced. He thought he was high off the ground and decided to go around- added full power and pushed nose over. He was closer to the ground than he realized and the nose wheel hit, causing the aircraft to porpoise. Then the propeller made contact with ground which caused the aircraft to cartwheel and flip over.

When asked what he can do to prevent recurrence, he said he just made a bad judgement call and ?should have noticed that I was approaching the ground at a faster than normal rate, earlier than I did.?

As the FAA filed it

THE PIC, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, OF N43442 DID SIX "STOP AND GO" LANDINGS ON HIS LANDING STRIP WITH NO ISSUES. HE WENT AND FLEW AROUND FOR AN HOUR AND CAME BACK FOR HIS FINAL LANDING. ON APPROACH HE TOOK SOME POWER OUT TO DESCEND FOR LANDING. ABOUT 40FT AGL HE NOTICED THE SINK RATE WAS TO FAST SO HE ADDED POWER TO ARREST THE DESCENT AND FLARED. THE MAINS HIT (NOSE DID NOT) AND THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED. HE THOUGHT HE WAS HIGH OFF THE GROUND AND DECIDED TO GO AROUND- ADDED FULL POWER AND PUSHED NOSE OVER. HE WAS CLOSER TO THE GROUND THAN HE REALIZED AND THE NOSE WHEEL HIT, CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO PORPOISE. THEN THE PROPELLER MADE CONTACT WITH GROUND WHICH CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO CARTWHEEL AND FLIP OVER.

WHEN ASKED WHAT HE CAN DO TO PREVENT RECURRENCE, HE SAID HE JUST MADE A BAD JUDGEMENT CALL AND ?SHOULD HAVE NOTICED THAT I WAS APPROACHING THE GROUND AT A FASTER THAN NORMAL RATE, EARLIER THAN I DID.?

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB WPR21LA138Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportShepherd, MTThe pilot’s unstable approach, and improper landing flare, which resulted in a bounced landing and subsequent nose over.Mar 17, 2021 · Substantial damage