# Incident 20250624007329I: Delano/Elfstrom LONG-EZ, Battle Creek, MI, June 24, 2025

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 24, 2025, 12:25 local time
- Place: Battle Creek, MI
- Airport: Battle Creek Executive Airport
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 42.3065° N, 85.2501° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at BATTLE CREEK EXEC AT KELLOGG FLD (BTL), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.3065&lon=-85.2501&mi=10
- Aircraft: N14LE, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N14LE) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Delano/Elfstrom LONG-EZ (registry code 0569010, https://openairdocs.org/model/delano-elfstrom-long-ez) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: DELANO/ELFSTROM LONG-EZ
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250624007329I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ARRIVED AT THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HANGAR APPROXIMATELY 1530 ON JUNE 24, 2025. THE AIRCRAFT WAS RESTING ON THE MAIN LANDING WITH THE NOSE RESTING ON THE GROUND. PERFORMED A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE AIRFRAME, ENGINE, PROPELLER, AND THE MAIN LANDING GEAR WITH NO DISCREPANCIES NOTED. ALL CONTROL SURFACES APPEARED TO HAVE CONTINUITY AND FREE TRAVEL IN ALL DIRECTION THE NOSE LANDING GEAR AND ALL ATTACH HARDWARE WAS REMOVED BY THE AIRCRAFT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^/PILOT. THE MAIN BATTERY WAS REMOVED AS WELL. THE DAMAGE IS CONCENTRATED UNDER THE FUSELAGE’S NOSE AND SHOWED EVIDENCE OF LANDING WITH THE NOSE GEAR RETRACTED. NO EVIDENCE OF FIRE.

THE PILOT STATED THAT DURING HIS FLIGHT HE CHANGED HIS PLANS AND REQUESTED TO LAND. HE WENT THROUGH HIS LANDING CHECKLIST AND ATC GAVE INSTRUCTIONS TO CONTINUE FOR APPROX. 6 MILES WEST OF THE RUNWAY. AT THIS TIME, HE RETRACTED THE NOSE LANDING GEAR AND CONTINUED THE FLIGHT. ONCE CLEARED OF TRAFFIC, ATC GAVE THE PILOT INSTRUCTIONS AND CLEARENCE TO LAND. THE PILOT NEGLETED TO FOLLOW THE CHECKLIST AGAIN BEFORE LANDING DUE TO BEING DISTRACTED BY AN CYLINDER HEAD TEMPERATURE GAUGE THAT WAS INDICATING HIGHER THAN NORMAL TEMPERATURE FOR THE #3 CYLINDER, WHICH RESULTED IN THE FAILURE TO EXTEND THE NOSE GEAR BEFORE LANDING.

## Other reports on N14LE (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 19970216004169I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970216004169I), Feb 16, 1997: Amtr LONG EZ (N14LE), Denver, CO, Minor damage. Narrative: pilot is commercial multi engine rated. The aircraft is a home built which had less than $100 worth of damage. Pilot said he forgot to lower the…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.