What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On Thursday October 17th, 2024, at approxamatley 1417 eastern standard time an experimental zodiac 601 hds, privacy data omitted, was involved in an accident at the Altoona / Blair county airport (kaoo). The 14 c.f.r. part 91 flight was conducted by a certificated private pilot. The PIC stated that there were no abnormalites noted during the preflight inspection or during the ground run check before the flight. The aircraft departed the Altoona / Blair county airport (kaoo) at 1417 eastern standard time, for a local flight in the traffic pattern. The PIC stated that the engine started to misfire and failed at approxamitley 300 to 500 feet AGL, after taking off from runway 8. The PIC then pushed the yoke forward and experienced a hard landing on runway 8. The impact forces of the landing broke the right-hand main landing gear at the wheel/axle to landing gear leg attachment point. The aircraft came to a stop on runway 8, then the PIC shutdown the aircraft, turned off the fuel selector valve, and exited the aircraft. The PIC was not injured.
A post accident inspection of the aircraft identified the following:
• No rotational damage noted to the propeller, damage was noted to one blade at its tip. Damage appears to be from contacting the runway and abrading against the tarmac. (Approxamitly 2 inches of damage, starting at the leading edge corner)
• The lower engine cowling made contact with the tarmac during landing. Lower cowling shows signs of abrasion at the air inlet / air filter area.
• The right hand landing gear wheel / axle assembly seperated from trunnion leg, but stayed attached to the aircraft via the wheel pants.
• The left hand inboard wing, top wing skin buckled and warped in an aft and outboard direction (approx 45 degrees).
• The left hand main landing gear structure at the axle appears to be bent laterally, but still attached to its trunnion.
• The left hand fuselage section at wing attachment area buckled and warped from lower fuselage area behind cowling, to upper skin area by canopy. (45 degrees longitudinally)
• The tailwheel struck the bottom side of the rudder control surface.
• Noted during inspection of the engine. A light pressure was applied to the fuel bowl by hand, in an aft direction. Fuel started to leak substaintally. Once finger pressure was released, the leak stopped. A visual inspection identified that the fuel bowl (gascolater) seal was stiff and starting to crack.
• The engine had compression on each cylinder, and each magneto was producing a spark at the spark plugs.
As the FAA filed it
ON THURSDAY OCTOBER 17TH, 2024, AT APPROXAMATLEY 1417 EASTERN STANDARD TIME AN EXPERIMENTAL ZODIAC 601 HDS, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AT THE ALTOONA / BLAIR COUNTY AIRPORT (KAOO). THE 14 C.F.R. PART 91 FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED BY A CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT. THE PIC STATED THAT THERE WERE NO ABNORMALITES NOTED DURING THE PREFLIGHT INSPECTION OR DURING THE GROUND RUN CHECK BEFORE THE FLIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE ALTOONA / BLAIR COUNTY AIRPORT (KAOO) AT 1417 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, FOR A LOCAL FLIGHT IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN. THE PIC STATED THAT THE ENGINE STARTED TO MISFIRE AND FAILED AT APPROXAMITLEY 300 TO 500 FEET AGL, AFTER TAKING OFF FROM RUNWAY 8. THE PIC THEN PUSHED THE YOKE FORWARD AND EXPERIENCED A HARD LANDING ON RUNWAY 8. THE IMPACT FORCES OF THE LANDING BROKE THE RIGHT-HAND MAIN LANDING GEAR AT THE WHEEL/AXLE TO LANDING GEAR LEG ATTACHMENT POINT. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP ON RUNWAY 8, THEN THE PIC SHUTDOWN THE AIRCRAFT, TURNED OFF THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE, AND EXITED THE AIRCRAFT. THE PIC WAS NOT INJURED.
A POST ACCIDENT INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT IDENTIFIED THE FOLLOWING:
• NO ROTATIONAL DAMAGE NOTED TO THE PROPELLER, DAMAGE WAS NOTED TO ONE BLADE AT ITS TIP. DAMAGE APPEARS TO BE FROM CONTACTING THE RUNWAY AND ABRADING AGAINST THE TARMAC. (APPROXAMITLY 2 INCHES OF DAMAGE, STARTING AT THE LEADING EDGE CORNER)
• THE LOWER ENGINE COWLING MADE CONTACT WITH THE TARMAC DURING LANDING. LOWER COWLING SHOWS SIGNS OF ABRASION AT THE AIR INLET / AIR FILTER AREA.
• THE RIGHT HAND LANDING GEAR WHEEL / AXLE ASSEMBLY SEPERATED FROM TRUNNION LEG, BUT STAYED ATTACHED TO THE AIRCRAFT VIA THE WHEEL PANTS.
• THE LEFT HAND INBOARD WING, TOP WING SKIN BUCKLED AND WARPED IN AN AFT AND OUTBOARD DIRECTION (APPROX 45 DEGREES).
• THE LEFT HAND MAIN LANDING GEAR STRUCTURE AT THE AXLE APPEARS TO BE BENT LATERALLY, BUT STILL ATTACHED TO ITS TRUNNION.
• THE LEFT HAND FUSELAGE SECTION AT WING ATTACHMENT AREA BUCKLED AND WARPED FROM LOWER FUSELAGE AREA BEHIND COWLING, TO UPPER SKIN AREA BY CANOPY. (45 DEGREES LONGITUDINALLY)
• THE TAILWHEEL STRUCK THE BOTTOM SIDE OF THE RUDDER CONTROL SURFACE.
• NOTED DURING INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE. A LIGHT PRESSURE WAS APPLIED TO THE FUEL BOWL BY HAND, IN AN AFT DIRECTION. FUEL STARTED TO LEAK SUBSTAINTALLY. ONCE FINGER PRESSURE WAS RELEASED, THE LEAK STOPPED. A VISUAL INSPECTION IDENTIFIED THAT THE FUEL BOWL (GASCOLATER) SEAL WAS STIFF AND STARTING TO CRACK.
• THE ENGINE HAD COMPRESSION ON EACH CYLINDER, AND EACH MAGNETO WAS PRODUCING A SPARK AT THE SPARK PLUGS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.