# NTSB CEN09LA319: Mileski Zenair, N701MW, New Hudson, MI, May 24, 2009 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: May 24, 2009, 11:00 local (15:00 UTC) - Place: New Hudson, MI - Coordinates: 42.503055, -83.623611 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.5031&lon=-83.6236&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report March 3, 2010 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 73920 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN09LA319 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/73920/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=73920 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN09LA319 ## Probable cause The pilot's improper flare which resulted in a hard landing and subsequent failure of the nose landing gear. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Landing gear system: nose/tail landing gear](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023220): Aircraft › Aircraft systems · Not specified (probable cause); cases with it: [Mileski William ZENAIR CH701, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023220/cases.md?model=0561418), [All aircraft, 185 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023220/cases.md) - [Performance/control parameters: directional control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Attain/maintain not possible (probable cause); cases with it: [Mileski William ZENAIR CH701, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020/cases.md?model=0561418), [All aircraft, 3,958 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020/cases.md) - [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Mileski William ZENAIR CH701, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=0561418), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md) - [Performance/control parameters: landing flare](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062041): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Incorrect use/operation (probable cause); cases with it: [Mileski William ZENAIR CH701, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062041/cases.md?model=0561418), [All aircraft, 1,285 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062041/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092) (defining event); cases with it: [Mileski William ZENAIR CH701, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md?model=0561418), [All aircraft, 2,102 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md) - [Landing-flare/touchdown: Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/330); cases with it: [Mileski William ZENAIR CH701, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/330/sequence.md?model=0561418), [All aircraft, 994 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/330/sequence.md) - [Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control on ground](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230); cases with it: [Mileski William ZENAIR CH701, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230/sequence.md?model=0561418), [All aircraft, 4,585 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230/sequence.md) - [Landing-landing roll: Runway excursion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300); cases with it: [Mileski William ZENAIR CH701, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md?model=0561418), [All aircraft, 3,643 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md) ## Analysis The flight instructor and student pilot were returning to the departure airport during an instructional flight. The accident occurred during the first landing attempt, which was piloted by the flight instructor. During the touchdown, the airplane experienced a hard landing, which damaged the nose wheel, and upon the second touchdown the airplane veered off the runway. The flight instructor was providing flight instruction without a current airman medical certificate, and did not have a current flight review. ## Factual narrative On May 24, 2009, at 1100 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Mileski Zenair CH701, N701MW, impacted trees during landing when the airplane departed runway 07 at Oakland Southwest Airport (Y47), New Hudson, Michigan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight was not operating on a flight plan. The student pilot and flight instructor were uninjured. The local flight originated at 1000. The flight instructor stated that he had been teaching skids, slips, glides, a simulated forced landing, and side slip techniques in the local area during the accident flight. The remainder of the instructional fight was to be conducted at Y47 where he was going to first demonstrate a landing on runway 07 (3,128 feet by 40 feet, asphalt). The airplane was configured with full flaps on short final for the landing. The touchdown, which was "disturbed" by wind gusts, was "slightly hard" and in a 10 degree crab. The flight instructor then "reestablished" a wing-low airplane attitude to the left with "slight" right rudder to maintain the runway centerline. After a rollout of 200 feet down and at a speed of 25 mph, the airplane "abruptly" pulled about 40 degrees to the right and departed the runway. The airplane traveled an additional 150 feet before impacting a bush. The flight instructor suspected that the nose wheel may have been bent to the right when the airplane touched down. The student pilot stated that during landing, they experienced "some fairly strong" turbulence that resulted in an altitude loss of about 10 feet and placing the airplane in a "slightly" southeast crab relative to the runway centerline. The airplane touched down while in the crab in what he thought was a "pretty hard landing." The airplane bounced, turned left, touched down again, turned right, and veered off the runway and impacted small trees. The student pilot thought that the nose landing gear was bent during the first touchdown. Damage to the airplane included buckling of the inboard wing sections and fuselage skin at the wing roots. The flight instructor stated that the wind was from 040 degrees at 8 knots and gusts at 15 knots. Three weather observing stations that were 13 and 17 miles from Y47 recorded no wind gusts. Review of the flight instructor’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) medical records indicated a history of metastatic malignant melanoma in March 2005, with surgical removal of the middle and lower lobes of his right lung for metastatic melanoma in May 2006, and of the upper lobe of the left lung in January 2007. He had since participated in a clinical study in which some participants received vaccine-based therapy, and had “no evidence of disease recurrence” since that time. His most recent application for airman medical certificate, dated April 3, 2006, was denied for history of metastatic melanoma. The Federal Air Surgeon indicated in March 2009, that he was “willing to reconsider”the pilot’s “request for airman medical certification after January 2010” with the submission of additional follow up information at that time. An FAA Flight Standards District Office inspector interviewed the pilot by telephone in August 2009, at which time the pilot did not note any additional indications of melanoma recurrence and indicated that he continued to swim and run regularly. The FAA medical records also noted a history of diabetes mellitus type II requiring medication (metformin), high blood pressure requiring treatment (lisinopril), high cholesterol requiring treatment (simvastatin), and benign prostatic hypertrophy requiring treatment (tamsulosin). The flight instructor received his last flight review in October 2006. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N701MW](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N701MW), registered now, S/N 7-4191, built 2006 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Mileski Zenair (CH701) - Registry model: [Mileski William ZENAIR CH701](https://openairdocs.org/model/mileski-william-zenair-ch701) (registry code 0561418) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Bombardier ROTAX (ALL)](https://openairdocs.org/engine/bombardier-rotax-all) (registry code 09050, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane, amateur-built - Serial number: 7-4191 - Airframe hours: 174.4 - Engines: Rotax 912 ULS 100 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Operator: Student Pilot - Registered owner: Student Pilot - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: Condition, February 28, 2009 - Departed: New Hudson, MI - Destination: New Hudson, MI - Flight plan: Unknown - Airport: Y47, Oakland Southwest Airport, runway 07, 3,128 × 40 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Flight instructor; age 78; injuries: none; commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; last flight review October 6, 2006; seat: right; flight hours: 12,974 total, 3 in this make and model, 11,799 as pilot in command, 13 in the last 90 days, 4 in the last 30 days, 3 in the last 24 hours - Student pilot; age 58; injuries: none; seat: left; flight hours: 43 total, 3 in this make and model, 0 as pilot in command, 3 in the last 90 days, 3 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 70° at 7 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 61 °F, dew point 52 °F - Altimeter: 30.10 inHg - Observed at: OZW ## Docket (3 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 3, 2009, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=73920. 1.5 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 - Student Pilot (item 1, .PDF, 731 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40320317&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1%20-%20Student%20Pilot-Master.PDF - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 - Flight Instructor (item 2, .PDF, 456 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40320320&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1%20-%20Flight%20Instructor-Master.PDF - Weather Information (item 3, .PDF, 331 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40320321&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Weather%20Information-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- 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.