What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
8020-9 Report: at 1535Z byp os advised zfw omic of possible aircraft incident at 3T0 leading to a NOTAM to closed the airport being issued at same time. Zfw called the airport manager,privacy data omitted to confirm tail number. No alnot issued. During the call zfw was informed that upon landing, privacy data omitted nose gear collapsed causing aircraft to flip over on the runway, subsequently closing the runway. 2 souls on board, 1 injury reported. First responders on scene at airport. Atm, qc, den, roc and jsen all notified.------------------------------------------------------------------
Pilot statement during on site investigation: pilot and passenger, departed wichita falls airport (kcwc) earlier that morning at approximately 9:00 am. They had experienced some turbulence along the flight but nothing significant. The pilot got weather information from gainesville municipal airport (kgle) and attempted to land on runway 25 at Cedar Mills Airport (3T0).
The pilot said there was a significant crosswind and a tailwind for the runway he was landing on. He chose to land on the runway 25 because the pattern had already been established by other plane landing at the airport. The pilot claims he had touched down on the grass strip with his left main landing gear first, but had hit too hard and bounced back into the air. Once airborne the pilot felt the nose gear come off and when he settled back down on the runway and the aircraft had begun to flip forward.
The pilot said that the aircraft had been in maintenance for the last 3 months due to a magneto issue and prior to that there had been an issue with the scissor link for the nose wheel landing gear.
The pilot sustained no injuries when paramedics and police were on site, but as I was speaking to him he was complaining of a sore back. He seemed coherent and not under the influence of any substances.
The passenger, was transported to a hospital nearby (I didn’t get any info on where he went) for a head laceration and possible broken finger. The aircraft did not have safety harnesses installed, only lap belts.
Pilot was cooperative but did not have his basic med medical certificate. I emailed him the privacy act and pbr. Advised the pilot that he needed to have that on his person and that a photograph on his cellphone was not acceptable. No additional action was taken at that moment. I did not issue a compliance action brochure at that time. -onsite investigation by inspector ccl
Eyewitness reported strong crossing tailwind of 14-22 knots. First approach to landing was aborted and aircraft went around for second attempt. Aircraft was having difficulty maintaining runway heading during final approach. Pilot stated he hit left wheel first. Hard landing indicated by indentions and prop stike on ground at initial contact point. 2nd contact point marked by strut digging into ground and leaving approx. 25' trench, at the end of trench aircraft prop and nose dug into ground and aircraft turned over onto its back, facing opposite direction of landing. Nose landing gear seperated after aircraft bounced back into air following initial contact. Nose gear strut seperated and scissor link broken .5' above middle joint. Lower scissor link remained attached to nose gear. Upper link attached to aicraft. Nose gear came to rest approx. 25' behind aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
8020-9 REPORT: AT 1535Z BYP OS ADVISED ZFW OMIC OF POSSIBLE AIRCRAFT INCIDENT AT 3T0 LEADING TO A NOTAM TO CLOSED THE AIRPORT BEING ISSUED AT SAME TIME. ZFW CALLED THE AIRPORT MANAGER,^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TO CONFIRM TAIL NUMBER. NO ALNOT ISSUED. DURING THE CALL ZFW WAS INFORMED THAT UPON LANDING, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED CAUSING AIRCRAFT TO FLIP OVER ON THE RUNWAY, SUBSEQUENTLY CLOSING THE RUNWAY. 2 SOULS ON BOARD, 1 INJURY REPORTED. FIRST RESPONDERS ON SCENE AT AIRPORT. ATM, QC, DEN, ROC AND JSEN ALL NOTIFIED.------------------------------------------------------------------
PILOT STATEMENT DURING ON SITE INVESTIGATION: PILOT AND PASSENGER, DEPARTED WICHITA FALLS AIRPORT (KCWC) EARLIER THAT MORNING AT APPROXIMATELY 9:00 AM. THEY HAD EXPERIENCED SOME TURBULENCE ALONG THE FLIGHT BUT NOTHING SIGNIFICANT. THE PILOT GOT WEATHER INFORMATION FROM GAINESVILLE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KGLE) AND ATTEMPTED TO LAND ON RUNWAY 25 AT CEDAR MILLS AIRPORT (3T0).
THE PILOT SAID THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT CROSSWIND AND A TAILWIND FOR THE RUNWAY HE WAS LANDING ON. HE CHOSE TO LAND ON THE RUNWAY 25 BECAUSE THE PATTERN HAD ALREADY BEEN ESTABLISHED BY OTHER PLANE LANDING AT THE AIRPORT. THE PILOT CLAIMS HE HAD TOUCHED DOWN ON THE GRASS STRIP WITH HIS LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR FIRST, BUT HAD HIT TOO HARD AND BOUNCED BACK INTO THE AIR. ONCE AIRBORNE THE PILOT FELT THE NOSE GEAR COME OFF AND WHEN HE SETTLED BACK DOWN ON THE RUNWAY AND THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEGUN TO FLIP FORWARD.
THE PILOT SAID THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN IN MAINTENANCE FOR THE LAST 3 MONTHS DUE TO A MAGNETO ISSUE AND PRIOR TO THAT THERE HAD BEEN AN ISSUE WITH THE SCISSOR LINK FOR THE NOSE WHEEL LANDING GEAR.
THE PILOT SUSTAINED NO INJURIES WHEN PARAMEDICS AND POLICE WERE ON SITE, BUT AS I WAS SPEAKING TO HIM HE WAS COMPLAINING OF A SORE BACK. HE SEEMED COHERENT AND NOT UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ANY SUBSTANCES.
THE PASSENGER, WAS TRANSPORTED TO A HOSPITAL NEARBY (I DIDN’T GET ANY INFO ON WHERE HE WENT) FOR A HEAD LACERATION AND POSSIBLE BROKEN FINGER. THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT HAVE SAFETY HARNESSES INSTALLED, ONLY LAP BELTS.
PILOT WAS COOPERATIVE BUT DID NOT HAVE HIS BASIC MED MEDICAL CERTIFICATE. I EMAILED HIM THE PRIVACY ACT AND PBR. ADVISED THE PILOT THAT HE NEEDED TO HAVE THAT ON HIS PERSON AND THAT A PHOTOGRAPH ON HIS CELLPHONE WAS NOT ACCEPTABLE. NO ADDITIONAL ACTION WAS TAKEN AT THAT MOMENT. I DID NOT ISSUE A COMPLIANCE ACTION BROCHURE AT THAT TIME. -ONSITE INVESTIGATION BY INSPECTOR CCL
EYEWITNESS REPORTED STRONG CROSSING TAILWIND OF 14-22 KNOTS. FIRST APPROACH TO LANDING WAS ABORTED AND AIRCRAFT WENT AROUND FOR SECOND ATTEMPT. AIRCRAFT WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY MAINTAINING RUNWAY HEADING DURING FINAL APPROACH. PILOT STATED HE HIT LEFT WHEEL FIRST. HARD LANDING INDICATED BY INDENTIONS AND PROP STIKE ON GROUND AT INITIAL CONTACT POINT. 2ND CONTACT POINT MARKED BY STRUT DIGGING INTO GROUND AND LEAVING APPROX. 25' TRENCH, AT THE END OF TRENCH AIRCRAFT PROP AND NOSE DUG INTO GROUND AND AIRCRAFT TURNED OVER ONTO ITS BACK, FACING OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF LANDING. NOSE LANDING GEAR SEPERATED AFTER AIRCRAFT BOUNCED BACK INTO AIR FOLLOWING INITIAL CONTACT. NOSE GEAR STRUT SEPERATED AND SCISSOR LINK BROKEN .5' ABOVE MIDDLE JOINT. LOWER SCISSOR LINK REMAINED ATTACHED TO NOSE GEAR. UPPER LINK ATTACHED TO AICRAFT. NOSE GEAR CAME TO REST APPROX. 25' BEHIND AIRCRAFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.