- Date
- December 23, 2019, 15:04 local (20:04 UTC)
- Place
- Xenia, OH
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N227LZenith CH 750
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 16, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20191223023299A
- Case key
- 100815
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’s failure to maintain airplane control during landing, which resulted in the right tire contacting the runway first followed by the left wing.
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 the flight was the first flight of the experimental, amateur-built airplane. He stated that he was lined up with the runway centerline for landing, that the airspeed was 60 mph, and that the tachometer was showing 1,600 rpm when he felt the right tire contact the runway. He said "in an instant the left wing came down and the left tire and axle [were] sheared off. The left wing impacted the runway and the plane skidded about 40 feet and came to a full stop." The pilot used a higher landing airspeed because he had been told by other builders of that airplane that he needed to land with speed "so as not [to] get near the stall speed as this aircraft does have leading edge slats and this equates to a high lift wing." Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the nose landing gear and the left wing strut sustained substantial damage.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that the flight was the first flight of the experimental amateur- built airplane. He was landing at the airport when the accident occurred. He stated that he was lined up with the runway center line, that his airspeed was 60 mph, and the tachometer registered 1,600 rpm, when he felt the right tire contact the runway. He said, "In an instant the left wing came down and the left tire and axle [were] sheared off. The left wing contacted the runway and the plane skidded about 40 feet and came to a full stop." The pilot stated he used a higher landing airspeed since he had been told by other builders of that airplane that he needed to land with speed "so as not get near the stall speed as this aircraft does have leading edge slats and this equates to a high lift wing." The pilot stated that the wind was calm, the altimeter setting was 30.12 inches, and the temperature was 55°F. The wind recorded at an airport 8 miles north of the accident airport was from 200° at 12 knots. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the left wing tip was bent up, the nose landing gear "U" channel was bent 90°, and the skin around the left wing strut and landing gear attachment points were buckled. There were no reported preimpact anomalies with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N227L
- Reported as
- Zenith CH 750
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 75-8165
- Built
- 2019
- Engine
- Corvette, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Departed
- I19 · Xenia, OH
- Destination
- I19 · Xenia, OH
- Airport
- I19 · Greene County-Lewis A Jackson, runway 25, 5,004 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 75
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Private, Sport Pilot
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 341 total · 5 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 800 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- KFFO
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 7, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 553 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.