- Date
- February 27, 2015, 16:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Greeley, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N715AKArnold Zodiac CH 650
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 7, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20150227001999A
- Case key
- 90806
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 pilot was unable to maintain directional control during the landing due to the foreign object that lodged behind the rudder.
Findings · 3
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 had recently purchased the experimental amateur-built airplane. He was flying with a flight instructor to gain flight experience in the airplane. The pilot reported that he had made a normal left hand pattern and approach to the runway. During the flare, he attempted to maneuver the airplane to the right using aileron and right rudder inputs. The pilot said that the rudder would not move and he focused on the rudder problem. The airplane rolled out on the runway in a "sideways motion," the nose landing gear collapsed, and the airplane came to rest nose down on the runway. After exiting the airplane, the pilot and instructor observed an auxiliary electrical plug had lodged behind the right rudder pedal and had jammed it. The pilot indicated that there were no airplane mechanical malfunctions. The flight instructor's safety recommendation, in part, stated, "This could have been prevented by stowing all movable items before and during flight to keep them away from the flight controls."
Factual narrative
The pilot had recently purchased the experimental amateur-built airplane. He was flying with a flight instructor to gain flight experience in the airplane. The pilot reported that he had made a normal left hand pattern and approach to the runway. During the flare, he attempted to maneuver the airplane to the right using aileron and right rudder inputs. The pilot said that the rudder would not move and he focused on the rudder problem. The airplane rolled out on the runway in a "sideways motion," the nose landing gear collapsed, and the airplane came to rest nose down on the runway. After exiting the airplane, the pilot and instructor observed an auxiliary electrical plug had lodged behind the right rudder pedal and had jammed it. The pilot indicated that there were no airplane mechanical malfunctions. The flight instructor's safety recommendation, in part, stated, "This could have been prevented by stowing all movable items before and during flight to keep them away from the flight controls."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N715AK
- Reported as
- Arnold Zodiac CH 650 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 65-8391
- Built
- 2012
- Airframe hours
- 48
- Engine
- Rolls Royce O-200A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · February 24, 2015
- Departed
- GXY · Greeley, CO
- Destination
- GXY · Greeley, CO
- Airport
- GXY · Greeley-Weld County, runway 10, 5,801 × 100 ft, asphalt
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 70
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Last flight review
- July 3, 2014
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,076 total · 1 in this make and model · 1 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 62
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 6, 2014
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 8,671 total · 1 in this make and model · 8,587 as pilot in command · 46 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 21 °F, dew point 7 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.93 inHg
- Observed at
- KGXY
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 11, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.3 MB 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.