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20220219002169A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Mckenzie John P EUROPA XS · Tucson, AZ · February 19, 2022

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
February 19, 2022 · 15:30 local
Place
Tucson, AZ
Airport
Ryan Field
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N523WS
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR22LA106
Reported as
Mckenzie John P Europa XS
Reported engine
ROTAX 912ULS series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
724 total8 in this make and model8 in the last 90 days
N523WSRegistration cancelled Oct 22, 2022 · Mckenzie John P EUROPA XSS/N A267 · Built 2021Airframe modelMckenzie John P EUROPA XSEngine modelRotax 912ULS 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.

On February 19, 2022, after completing four touch and go landings on 6R at Ryan airfield near Tucson AZ in N523WS, the pilot porpoised two times on the fifth landing. The pilot reported that the aircraft came down on the nose wheel, porpoised and when the nose wheel touched a second time, he heard a noise that sounded like the aircraft may have been damaged. The pilot increased power, climbed out and flew a normal pattern. The pilot then landed the airplane holding the nose off the runway for as long as possible and softly setting it down. The nose wheel and yoke departed the aircraft at that point. The nose strut without the wheel and yoke dragged on the runway causing the fuselage to bend down and fracture just aft of the firewall. The prop struck the runway breaking one blade free from the hub and damaging the other two. The aircraft sustained substantial structural damage to the fuselage at and aft of the firewall. Subsequent inspection revealed that a pin which held the nose wheel yoke to the landing gear leg had failed.

As the FAA filed it

ON FEBRUARY 19, 2022, AFTER COMPLETING FOUR TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS ON 6R AT RYAN AIRFIELD NEAR TUCSON AZ IN N523WS, THE PILOT PORPOISED TWO TIMES ON THE FIFTH LANDING. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT CAME DOWN ON THE NOSE WHEEL, PORPOISED AND WHEN THE NOSE WHEEL TOUCHED A SECOND TIME, HE HEARD A NOISE THAT SOUNDED LIKE THE AIRCRAFT MAY HAVE BEEN DAMAGED. THE PILOT INCREASED POWER, CLIMBED OUT AND FLEW A NORMAL PATTERN. THE PILOT THEN LANDED THE AIRPLANE HOLDING THE NOSE OFF THE RUNWAY FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE AND SOFTLY SETTING IT DOWN. THE NOSE WHEEL AND YOKE DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT AT THAT POINT. THE NOSE STRUT WITHOUT THE WHEEL AND YOKE DRAGGED ON THE RUNWAY CAUSING THE FUSELAGE TO BEND DOWN AND FRACTURE JUST AFT OF THE FIREWALL. THE PROP STRUCK THE RUNWAY BREAKING ONE BLADE FREE FROM THE HUB AND DAMAGING THE OTHER TWO. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE AT AND AFT OF THE FIREWALL. SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION REVEALED THAT A PIN WHICH HELD THE NOSE WHEEL YOKE TO THE LANDING GEAR LEG HAD FAILED.

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 WPR22LA106Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportTucson, AZThe pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a bounced landing.Feb 19, 2022 · Substantial damage