What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
2021-09-01 N705L, a zenith 701 flipped over after landing on the grass rwy 23 at Grantsburg, WI. (Kgtg)
PIC was headed out for a local flight. The winds supported landing on rwy 12 paved rwy and he completed two successful landings on this rwy. He then believed looking at the wind sock that the winds had shifted more directly out of the south to even west thinking he saw about 260, so he decided to switch to rwy 23 grass. Winds in the 20 NM radius at the time from three other airports supported 100-150 for wind heading around 5 knots. As he came in to and he touched down, grass rwy was rough so he tried to pull the nose up, but whole aircraft went airborne, so he attempted to go back to a level attitude, then the nose dropped and he could not stop it with aft stick. The aircraft hit the ground nose low and then in about a 3 count went up on its nose and all the way over on its back. He was eyes open through the whole flip over as it seemed slower than a fast rapid flip. He shut down all electrical and fuel while inverted hanging in the straps. He was wearing a shoulder harness. He egressed the aircraft and then walked around to find cell service and call 911. The PIC had a small cut on his ear. When asked what landing speed was, PIC stated he comes in at 40 mph. When asked what his stall speed is, PIC did not know, tried to find it in the books, which he could not, so he got on google and provided us with a speed of 28MPH. Substantial damage to aircraft including prop strike, nose gear collapse, visible twist in left wing, tip of rudder crushed, aft fuselage crushed and ripped at rudder mount, right wing tip crushed, cockpit floor buckled, wing struts bent.
As the FAA filed it
2021-09-01 N705L, A ZENITH 701 FLIPPED OVER AFTER LANDING ON THE GRASS RWY 23 AT GRANTSBURG, WI. (KGTG)
PIC WAS HEADED OUT FOR A LOCAL FLIGHT. THE WINDS SUPPORTED LANDING ON RWY 12 PAVED RWY AND HE COMPLETED TWO SUCCESSFUL LANDINGS ON THIS RWY. HE THEN BELIEVED LOOKING AT THE WIND SOCK THAT THE WINDS HAD SHIFTED MORE DIRECTLY OUT OF THE SOUTH TO EVEN WEST THINKING HE SAW ABOUT 260, SO HE DECIDED TO SWITCH TO RWY 23 GRASS. WINDS IN THE 20 NM RADIUS AT THE TIME FROM THREE OTHER AIRPORTS SUPPORTED 100-150 FOR WIND HEADING AROUND 5 KNOTS. AS HE CAME IN TO AND HE TOUCHED DOWN, GRASS RWY WAS ROUGH SO HE TRIED TO PULL THE NOSE UP, BUT WHOLE AIRCRAFT WENT AIRBORNE, SO HE ATTEMPTED TO GO BACK TO A LEVEL ATTITUDE, THEN THE NOSE DROPPED AND HE COULD NOT STOP IT WITH AFT STICK. THE AIRCRAFT HIT THE GROUND NOSE LOW AND THEN IN ABOUT A 3 COUNT WENT UP ON ITS NOSE AND ALL THE WAY OVER ON ITS BACK. HE WAS EYES OPEN THROUGH THE WHOLE FLIP OVER AS IT SEEMED SLOWER THAN A FAST RAPID FLIP. HE SHUT DOWN ALL ELECTRICAL AND FUEL WHILE INVERTED HANGING IN THE STRAPS. HE WAS WEARING A SHOULDER HARNESS. HE EGRESSED THE AIRCRAFT AND THEN WALKED AROUND TO FIND CELL SERVICE AND CALL 911. THE PIC HAD A SMALL CUT ON HIS EAR. WHEN ASKED WHAT LANDING SPEED WAS, PIC STATED HE COMES IN AT 40 MPH. WHEN ASKED WHAT HIS STALL SPEED IS, PIC DID NOT KNOW, TRIED TO FIND IT IN THE BOOKS, WHICH HE COULD NOT, SO HE GOT ON GOOGLE AND PROVIDED US WITH A SPEED OF 28MPH. SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT INCLUDING PROP STRIKE, NOSE GEAR COLLAPSE, VISIBLE TWIST IN LEFT WING, TIP OF RUDDER CRUSHED, AFT FUSELAGE CRUSHED AND RIPPED AT RUDDER MOUNT, RIGHT WING TIP CRUSHED, COCKPIT FLOOR BUCKLED, WING STRUTS BENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.