OpenAirDocs.org

20230617014479I

Incident · Minor damage
Open the Markdown

FAA incident report · Pipistrel D O O ALPHA TRAINER · Orangeburg, SC · June 17, 2023

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
June 17, 2023 · 20:31 local
Place
Orangeburg, SC
Airport
Orangeburg Municipal
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N470LP
Reported as
Pipistrel D O O Alpha Trainer
Reported engine
ROTAX 912UL series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
386 total20 in this make and model61 in the last 90 days
N470LPRegistered now · Pipistrel D O O ALPHA TRAINERS/N 1147 AT 912 LSA · Built 2023Airframe modelPipistrel D O O ALPHA TRAINEREngine 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.

Eon-dra message: Orangeburg, SC (ogb): privacy data omitted, Pipistrel, experienced a nose gear collapse and prop strike on runway 23. Aircraft was towed to hangar f. late report. POB: 1, injuries: none, damage: extent unknown. 06/18/2023 0031Z

Pilot statement:

I was on my way to ogb, 15MILES out, advised by ATC there is no traffic between me and the airport and that they were canceling the flight following service. Started descent and below 3000FT disconnected autopilot, as I was approaching airport I was using RNAV 23 chart to descent safely, turned on the lights for better reference..everything looked on the spot, slipped forward to loose some altitude, recovered from slip before approaching the rwy at 55KT. Touchdown about 50KT, retracted flaps and was ready to pull on the brake to slow down when it felt rough - heavy vibration, uneven movement on the nose wheel which made me pull nose up, therefore porpoise movement. When the nose settled back down it was much lower and the airplane was very hard to control. I was pulled close to the left edge of the runway, at that point my only goal was to keep it on the runway. Applied pressure on brakes until full stop, advised on comms there is an emergency on the rwy 23, shut down the engine and avionics.

The airplane was inspected visually - obvious damage to the nose gear and propeller, and then pushed off the runway.

As the FAA filed it

EON-DRA MESSAGE: ORANGEBURG, SC (OGB): ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, PIPISTREL, EXPERIENCED A NOSE GEAR COLLAPSE AND PROP STRIKE ON RUNWAY 23. AIRCRAFT WAS TOWED TO HANGAR F. LATE REPORT. POB: 1, INJURIES: NONE, DAMAGE: EXTENT UNKNOWN. 06/18/2023 0031Z

PILOT STATEMENT:

I WAS ON MY WAY TO OGB, 15MILES OUT, ADVISED BY ATC THERE IS NO TRAFFIC BETWEEN ME AND THE AIRPORT AND THAT THEY WERE CANCELING THE FLIGHT FOLLOWING SERVICE. STARTED DESCENT AND BELOW 3000FT DISCONNECTED AUTOPILOT, AS I WAS APPROACHING AIRPORT I WAS USING RNAV 23 CHART TO DESCENT SAFELY, TURNED ON THE LIGHTS FOR BETTER REFERENCE..EVERYTHING LOOKED ON THE SPOT, SLIPPED FORWARD TO LOOSE SOME ALTITUDE, RECOVERED FROM SLIP BEFORE APPROACHING THE RWY AT 55KT. TOUCHDOWN ABOUT 50KT, RETRACTED FLAPS AND WAS READY TO PULL ON THE BRAKE TO SLOW DOWN WHEN IT FELT ROUGH - HEAVY VIBRATION, UNEVEN MOVEMENT ON THE NOSE WHEEL WHICH MADE ME PULL NOSE UP, THEREFORE PORPOISE MOVEMENT. WHEN THE NOSE SETTLED BACK DOWN IT WAS MUCH LOWER AND THE AIRPLANE WAS VERY HARD TO CONTROL. I WAS PULLED CLOSE TO THE LEFT EDGE OF THE RUNWAY, AT THAT POINT MY ONLY GOAL WAS TO KEEP IT ON THE RUNWAY. APPLIED PRESSURE ON BRAKES UNTIL FULL STOP, ADVISED ON COMMS THERE IS AN EMERGENCY ON THE RWY 23, SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE AND AVIONICS.

THE AIRPLANE WAS INSPECTED VISUALLY - OBVIOUS DAMAGE TO THE NOSE GEAR AND PROPELLER, AND THEN PUSHED OFF THE RUNWAY.