- Date
- August 26, 2012, 00:15 local (04:15 UTC)
- Place
- Columbus, OH
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N904LAEvektor-Aerotechnik Sportstar
- Defining event
- Taxi-to runway: Aircraft structural failure
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report December 5, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20120826023839A
- Case key
- 84917
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 right main landing gear strut due to a preexisting crack.
Findings · 1
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
While taxiing the rental airplane for departure, the pilot felt the right brake fail, which initiated a left turn. The pilot attempted to correct the turn by applying the right rudder pedal, but the airplane veered onto the grass, pivoted 180 degrees back onto the taxiway surface, and came to rest. Examination of the airplane showed that a portion of the right main landing gear strut had separated, and the right wing was buckled. The strut fracture surface showed discoloration consistent with a preexisting crack. The airplane’s most recent 100-hour inspection was completed 5 days before the accident.
Factual narrative
While taxiing the rental airplane for departure, the pilot felt the right brake fail which initiated a left turn. The pilot attempted to correct the turn by applying right rudder pedal, but the airplane veered off onto the grass. The airplane then pivoted 180 degrees, came back onto the taxiway surface and came to rest. Examination of the airplane showed a portion of the right main landing gear composite strut had separated, and the right wing was buckled. The composite fracture surface showed discoloration consistent with a previous crack to that area of the strut. The airplane underwent a 100-hour inspection on August 21, 2012.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N904LA
- Reported as
- Evektor-Aerotechnik Sportstar
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20070904
- Airframe hours
- 736
- Engine
- Rotax 912ULS, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 21, 2012
- Departed
- CMH · Columbus, OH
- Destination
- O74 · Mount Victory, OH
- Airport
- CMH · Port Columbus Intl Airport
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
- 61
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,636 total · 15 in this make and model · 1,600 as pilot in command · 18 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 20, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 744 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.
Other investigations on N904LA · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.