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20230311003749A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Harris Robert W ZENITH CH 801 · Brigham City, UT · March 11, 2023

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 11, 2023 · 11:48 local
Place
Brigham City, UT
Phase of flight
Other, Specify
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N639BH
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR23LA134
Reported as
Harris Robert W Zenith CH 801
Reported engine
Franklin 6A-350SER
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
505 total14 in this make and model9 in the last 90 days
N639BHRegistered now · Harris Robert W ZENITH CH 801S/N 841534Airframe modelHarris Robert W ZENITH CH 801Engine modelFranklin 6A-350SERReciprocating

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 pilot states he took off from Brigham City airport on runway 35 and planned "to do a few touch and go's". Pilot states he went around the pattern one time and landed without incident. He then immediately proceeded to take off again. At about 150 feet the aircraft was stable at 60-65 mph climb, which the pilot states is normal. Pilot stated he was monitoring oil pressure, temp and cylinder head temps regularly and everything was normal. Suddenly, the pilot stated he lost all thrust. The engine was still running. Pilot states he immediately put the nose down to maintain 60-65 mph air speed and lined up with the runway to land. Suddenly, the pilot stated had full thrust again for about 1 second, then lost all thrust again. The pilot stated he maintained 60-65 mph and flared, but with no flaps it was a hard landing. The nose wheel broke off and the plane slid down the runway on the nose wheel post so that the cowling never hit the ground.

The prop strike stopped the engine. The pilot states he radioed to others in the pattern that the plane was blocking the runway. Pilot stated that from the time he lost thrust to touchdown was only a few seconds.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT STATES HE TOOK OFF FROM BRIGHAM CITY AIRPORT ON RUNWAY 35 AND PLANNED "TO DO A FEW TOUCH AND GO'S". PILOT STATES HE WENT AROUND THE PATTERN ONE TIME AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. HE THEN IMMEDIATELY PROCEEDED TO TAKE OFF AGAIN. AT ABOUT 150 FEET THE AIRCRAFT WAS STABLE AT 60-65 MPH CLIMB, WHICH THE PILOT STATES IS NORMAL. PILOT STATED HE WAS MONITORING OIL PRESSURE, TEMP AND CYLINDER HEAD TEMPS REGULARLY AND EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. SUDDENLY, THE PILOT STATED HE LOST ALL THRUST. THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING. PILOT STATES HE IMMEDIATELY PUT THE NOSE DOWN TO MAINTAIN 60-65 MPH AIR SPEED AND LINED UP WITH THE RUNWAY TO LAND. SUDDENLY, THE PILOT STATED HAD FULL THRUST AGAIN FOR ABOUT 1 SECOND, THEN LOST ALL THRUST AGAIN. THE PILOT STATED HE MAINTAINED 60-65 MPH AND FLARED, BUT WITH NO FLAPS IT WAS A HARD LANDING. THE NOSE WHEEL BROKE OFF AND THE PLANE SLID DOWN THE RUNWAY ON THE NOSE WHEEL POST SO THAT THE COWLING NEVER HIT THE GROUND.

THE PROP STRIKE STOPPED THE ENGINE. THE PILOT STATES HE RADIOED TO OTHERS IN THE PATTERN THAT THE PLANE WAS BLOCKING THE RUNWAY. PILOT STATED THAT FROM THE TIME HE LOST THRUST TO TOUCHDOWN WAS ONLY A FEW SECONDS.

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 WPR23LA134Accident · No injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportBrigham City, UTThe pilot’s improper flare, which resulted in a hard landing following a reported loss of engine thrust for undetermined reasons.Mar 11, 2023 · Substantial damage