What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
At approximately 1615 on 02/23/2025, the accident aircraft was attempting a grass landing between runway 05 and the parallel taxiway. The aircraft touched down slightly past the hold short taxiway. Upon touch down, the left main landing gear (MLG) sheared away from the forward mount point and folded under the fuselage. This caused a left wing and nose down attitude, and the propeller struck the terrain 2-3 times. The aircraft came to an abrupt stop approximately 20-30 feet past the propeller strike marks. The pilot and one passenger egressed the aircraft and reported no injuries.
The ELT was functional and activated by the accident
The grass landing area was well maintained, and few divots/ruts were evident. The accident aircraft was equipped with backcountry tundra smooth tires, and acme aero shock absorbers to accomodate unimproved field landings.
The most recent aircraft inspection logged was an annual inspection on 10/01/2024, and within 20 hours of accident.
Post crash inspection of the left MLG forward tubing structure showed indications of stress crack corrossion near the fuselage attach point where the tubing sheared. Due to the location of the crack, a visual inspection of the aircraft during an annual inspection would not have revealed the discrepancy. Inspection of the left MLG bearings, axel, brake and wheel assembly showed no signs of seizing, and were well lubricated and maintained.
The forward fuselage, engine and propeller showed signs of significant damage due to impact with terrain. The firewall indicates significant damaged and the attached fuselage skin indicates substantial structural damage. One of the two propeller blades was broken at the approximate mid point of the blade.
Pilot's certificate and recent medical (11/20/2024) verifed and validated.
Aircraft airworthiness verified as experimental - amateur built, and registration valid through 02/28/2029.
As the FAA filed it
AT APPROXIMATELY 1615 ON 02/23/2025, THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT WAS ATTEMPTING A GRASS LANDING BETWEEN RUNWAY 05 AND THE PARALLEL TAXIWAY. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN SLIGHTLY PAST THE HOLD SHORT TAXIWAY. UPON TOUCH DOWN, THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR (MLG) SHEARED AWAY FROM THE FORWARD MOUNT POINT AND FOLDED UNDER THE FUSELAGE. THIS CAUSED A LEFT WING AND NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE, AND THE PROPELLER STRUCK THE TERRAIN 2-3 TIMES. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO AN ABRUPT STOP APPROXIMATELY 20-30 FEET PAST THE PROPELLER STRIKE MARKS. THE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER EGRESSED THE AIRCRAFT AND REPORTED NO INJURIES.
THE ELT WAS FUNCTIONAL AND ACTIVATED BY THE ACCIDENT
THE GRASS LANDING AREA WAS WELL MAINTAINED, AND FEW DIVOTS/RUTS WERE EVIDENT. THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT WAS EQUIPPED WITH BACKCOUNTRY TUNDRA SMOOTH TIRES, AND ACME AERO SHOCK ABSORBERS TO ACCOMODATE UNIMPROVED FIELD LANDINGS.
THE MOST RECENT AIRCRAFT INSPECTION LOGGED WAS AN ANNUAL INSPECTION ON 10/01/2024, AND WITHIN 20 HOURS OF ACCIDENT.
POST CRASH INSPECTION OF THE LEFT MLG FORWARD TUBING STRUCTURE SHOWED INDICATIONS OF STRESS CRACK CORROSSION NEAR THE FUSELAGE ATTACH POINT WHERE THE TUBING SHEARED. DUE TO THE LOCATION OF THE CRACK, A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT DURING AN ANNUAL INSPECTION WOULD NOT HAVE REVEALED THE DISCREPANCY. INSPECTION OF THE LEFT MLG BEARINGS, AXEL, BRAKE AND WHEEL ASSEMBLY SHOWED NO SIGNS OF SEIZING, AND WERE WELL LUBRICATED AND MAINTAINED.
THE FORWARD FUSELAGE, ENGINE AND PROPELLER SHOWED SIGNS OF SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE DUE TO IMPACT WITH TERRAIN. THE FIREWALL INDICATES SIGNIFICANT DAMAGED AND THE ATTACHED FUSELAGE SKIN INDICATES SUBSTANTIAL STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. ONE OF THE TWO PROPELLER BLADES WAS BROKEN AT THE APPROXIMATE MID POINT OF THE BLADE.
PILOT'S CERTIFICATE AND RECENT MEDICAL (11/20/2024) VERIFED AND VALIDATED.
AIRCRAFT AIRWORTHINESS VERIFIED AS EXPERIMENTAL - AMATEUR BUILT, AND REGISTRATION VALID THROUGH 02/28/2029.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.