- Date
- September 5, 2009, 13:15 local (17:15 UTC)
- Place
- Marshall, MI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N3383EAeronca 11AC
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 3, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA-GR-FSDO
- FAA report
- 20090905049629A
- Case key
- 74673
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 failure of the main landing gear attach point.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that after liftoff he heard a "thump" and someone on the ground radioed him saying that his right landing gear looked "crooked." The pilot stated that because his aircraft battery was low he could not transmit over the radio. He decided to make an off-airport landing in a field instead of trying to land at the busy airport that he had just departed. The right main landing gear collapsed during the landing and the airplane nosed over. Inspection of the airplane revealed the right main landing gear oleo strut attachment fitting failed, allowing the landing gear to collapse. The last annual inspection on the airplane was dated August 7, 2000. The pilot reported that an annual inspection may have detected the failure.
Factual narrative
On September 5, 2009, at 1315 eastern daylight time, an Aeronca 11AC, N3383E, nosed over while landing in a grass field in Marshall, Michigan, following a failure of the right main landing gear during the previous takeoff. The pilot was not injured and the airplane received substantial damage to the right wing and rudder. The personal flight was being conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The flight originated from the Brooks Airport (RMY), Marshall, Michigan, at 1300. The pilot reported that after liftoff he heard a "thump" and someone on the ground radioed him saying that his right landing gear looked "crooked." The pilot stated that because his aircraft battery was low he could not transmit over the radio. He decided to make an off airport landing in a field instead of trying to land at the busy airport which he just departed. The right main landing gear collapsed during the landing and the airplane nosed over. Inspection of the airplane revealed the right main landing gear oleo strut attachment fitting failed allowing the landing gear to collapse. The last annual inspection on the airplane was dated August 7, 2000. The pilot reported that an annual inspection may have detected the failure.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3383E
- Reported as
- Aeronca 11AC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 11AC-1709
- Airframe hours
- 1,749
- Engine
- Cont Motor A-65-8F, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Elwood Eddie
- Registered owner
- Elwood Eddie
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 7, 2000 · 31.7 hours before
- Departed
- Marshall, MI
- Destination
- Marshall, MI
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
- 56
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 23, 2009
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 564 total · 219 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.26 inHg
- Observed at
- AZO, 29 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 17, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 872 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.