- Date
- August 30, 2002, 14:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Panacea, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9097FBarker Experimental
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 23, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA Tampa FSDO - 35
- FAA report
- 20020830024009A
- Case key
- 55615
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The builders inadequate weld on the nose gear u-shaped bracket, that resulted in the nose wheel strut failure, and subsequent nose over during an attempted landing.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot flew a normal approach to a rough, bumpy turf runway. The airplane touched down on the main landing gear at 60 knots, and when the nose wheel touched down, the airplane bounced three to four feet into the air. The airplane touched down on the main landing again, and when the nose settled on the runway, the airplane immediately flipped inverted. Examination of the airplane revealed the nose wheel was separated and the vertical stabilizer and rudder sustained crush damage. The pilot stated the nose wheel was found about 60 feet from the fuselage. The pilot stated the u-shaped aluminum bracket bolted to the nose wheel strut was found broken at the weld. Further examination by two welding experts revealed that the weld was "insufficient" on the shear points of the u-shaped aluminum bracket, and the weld had not completely penetrated the metal.
Factual narrative
On August 30, 2002, at 1430 eastern daylight time, a John Barker experimental airplane, N9097F, registered to and operated by the pilot, nosed over inverted during landing at the Wakulla County airstrip in Panacea, Florida. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. The private pilot reported no injuries, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight originated at Perry Foley Airport in Perry, Florida, about 1330.
The pilot stated he flew a normal approach to runway 18 at 70 knots. He stated the airplane touched down on the main landing gear at 60 knots, and when the nose wheel touched down, the airplane bounced three to four feet into the air. He stated the airplane touched down on the main landing gear again, and when the nose settled on the runway, the airplane immediately flipped inverted. The pilot stated the turf runway has a rough, bumpy surface.
Initial examination of the airplane revealed the nose wheel was separated, the vertical stabilizer and rudder sustained crush damage, and the propeller was damaged. The pilot stated the nose wheel was found about 60 feet from the fuselage near visible tracks in the turf where the main landing wheels initially touched down. The pilot stated the u-shaped aluminum bracket bolted to the nose wheel strut was found broken at the weld. Further examination by two welding experts revealed that the weld was "insufficient" on the shear points of the u-shaped aluminum bracket, and the weld had not completely penetrated the metal.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9097F
- Reported as
- Barker Experimental
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 01
- Airframe hours
- 40
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235, 108 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- James Perry Walker
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- 40J · Perry, FL
- Destination
- 2J0 · Panacea, FL
- Airport
- 2J0 · Wakulla County, runway 18, 2,785 × 70 ft, grass/turf
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 57
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 165 total · 43 in this make and model · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,700 ft broken
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.01 inHg
- Observed at
- TLH, 25 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.