20240909012199I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Putnam William C CH 750 · Thedford, NE · September 9, 2024

Date
September 9, 2024 · 08:54 local
Place
Thedford, NE
Airport
Thomas County
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N750WP
Reported as
Putnam William C CH 750
Reported engine
N/A N/A
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
590 total20 in this make and model20 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.

According to the pilot: at 7:18 am local time at kgrn (gordon, NE) the incident pilot and son completed the aircraft preflight then departed for ktif (Thomas County Airport located at Thedford, NE). They arrived and announced on a long final for runway 11. He received weather briefing over aviationweather. Gov and the station indicated calm winds. There was no other traffic. Upon visual inspection of the windsock there appeared to be a slight crosswind at ~165DEG at ~5KTS. Upon approach, he lined up on the right side of the centerline (RWY11 is 4400’ x 60’). His aim point was between the numbers and the first centerline marker. I was in ground effect over the centerline marker and made first touched down on mains, just past the first centerline marker. At 8:54AM he pulled power and relaxed the yoke back pressure assuming he was firmly on the runway. However, it was quickly obvious that he had bounced up and was on the way down nose low and hit the nose gear first followed quickly by the mains and porpoised upward. His son called for a go around, and by this time the nose was already low again, he did not react in time and on the third touchdown the nose gear strut the ground first and folded back. The propellor struck the concrete and immediately stopped spinning. Then the bottom of the cowling hit the runway skidding to the left. The left wing went down when the left main came off the runway and into the dirt. The left wing and slat tip hit and were damaged. The plane came to a halt, and they secured the fuel selector, secured the magnetos, and secured the electrical bus, and exited the plane.

Within a few minutes they had called (1) local 911, (2) airport manager, (3) FAA, in that order. Denver center called the airport manager to request they secure the ELT. The airport manager and fire department provided assistance moving the aircraft from the runway and place it in the county hanger.

As the FAA filed it

ACCORDING TO THE PILOT: AT 7:18 AM LOCAL TIME AT KGRN (GORDON, NE) THE INCIDENT PILOT AND SON COMPLETED THE AIRCRAFT PREFLIGHT THEN DEPARTED FOR KTIF (THOMAS COUNTY AIRPORT LOCATED AT THEDFORD, NE). THEY ARRIVED AND ANNOUNCED ON A LONG FINAL FOR RUNWAY 11. HE RECEIVED WEATHER BRIEFING OVER AVIATIONWEATHER.GOV AND THE STATION INDICATED CALM WINDS. THERE WAS NO OTHER TRAFFIC. UPON VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE WINDSOCK THERE APPEARED TO BE A SLIGHT CROSSWIND AT ~165DEG AT ~5KTS. UPON APPROACH, HE LINED UP ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CENTERLINE (RWY11 IS 4400’ X 60’). HIS AIM POINT WAS BETWEEN THE NUMBERS AND THE FIRST CENTERLINE MARKER. I WAS IN GROUND EFFECT OVER THE CENTERLINE MARKER AND MADE FIRST TOUCHED DOWN ON MAINS, JUST PAST THE FIRST CENTERLINE MARKER. AT 8:54AM HE PULLED POWER AND RELAXED THE YOKE BACK PRESSURE ASSUMING HE WAS FIRMLY ON THE RUNWAY. HOWEVER, IT WAS QUICKLY OBVIOUS THAT HE HAD BOUNCED UP AND WAS ON THE WAY DOWN NOSE LOW AND HIT THE NOSE GEAR FIRST FOLLOWED QUICKLY BY THE MAINS AND PORPOISED UPWARD. HIS SON CALLED FOR A GO AROUND, AND BY THIS TIME THE NOSE WAS ALREADY LOW AGAIN, HE DID NOT REACT IN TIME AND ON THE THIRD TOUCHDOWN THE NOSE GEAR STRUT THE GROUND FIRST AND FOLDED BACK. THE PROPELLOR STRUCK THE CONCRETE AND IMMEDIATELY STOPPED SPINNING. THEN THE BOTTOM OF THE COWLING HIT THE RUNWAY SKIDDING TO THE LEFT. THE LEFT WING WENT DOWN WHEN THE LEFT MAIN CAME OFF THE RUNWAY AND INTO THE DIRT. THE LEFT WING AND SLAT TIP HIT AND WERE DAMAGED. THE PLANE CAME TO A HALT, AND THEY SECURED THE FUEL SELECTOR, SECURED THE MAGNETOS, AND SECURED THE ELECTRICAL BUS, AND EXITED THE PLANE.

WITHIN A FEW MINUTES THEY HAD CALLED (1) LOCAL 911, (2) AIRPORT MANAGER, (3) FAA, IN THAT ORDER. DENVER CENTER CALLED THE AIRPORT MANAGER TO REQUEST THEY SECURE THE ELT. THE AIRPORT MANAGER AND FIRE DEPARTMENT PROVIDED ASSISTANCE MOVING THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE RUNWAY AND PLACE IT IN THE COUNTY HANGER.