20230710010119I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Elsen Jerome P CELEBRITY · Saint Cloud, MN · July 10, 2023

Date
July 10, 2023 · 20:45 local
Place
Saint Cloud, MN
Airport
St Cloud Regional
Phase of flight
Landing: Rollout
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N91204
Reported as
Elsen Jerome P Celebrity
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-235 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
169 total1 in this make and model35 in the last 90 days

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.

PIC had just purchased experimental homebuilt tailwheel aircraft. The seller performed one demonstration flight with the PIC and explained that the aircraft should be landed in a 3-point attitude. After the demonstration flight the PIC flew the aircraft back to his home airport. The PIC performed a wheel landing resulting in the propeller striking the runway. No injuries, minor damage. The PIC chose to perform a wheel landing in a level attitude because that is what his tailwheel instructor taught him to do.

As the FAA filed it

PIC HAD JUST PURCHASED EXPERIMENTAL HOMEBUILT TAILWHEEL AIRCRAFT. THE SELLER PERFORMED ONE DEMONSTRATION FLIGHT WITH THE PIC AND EXPLAINED THAT THE AIRCRAFT SHOULD BE LANDED IN A 3-POINT ATTITUDE. AFTER THE DEMONSTRATION FLIGHT THE PIC FLEW THE AIRCRAFT BACK TO HIS HOME AIRPORT. THE PIC PERFORMED A WHEEL LANDING RESULTING IN THE PROPELLER STRIKING THE RUNWAY. NO INJURIES, MINOR DAMAGE. THE PIC CHOSE TO PERFORM A WHEEL LANDING IN A LEVEL ATTITUDE BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT HIS TAILWHEEL INSTRUCTOR TAUGHT HIM TO DO.