- Date
- June 25, 2020, 11:45 local (16:45 UTC)
- Place
- Minneapolis, MN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N951XSonex Onex
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20200625008359A
- Case key
- 101505
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 hard landing on the airplane's nosewheel, which jammed the steering, and resulted in a runway excursion and impact with runway lights.
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
According to the pilot, he departed in a single-seat homebuilt airplane; however, the airplane did not feel "stable", so he elected to abort the takeoff. During touchdown, the airplane's nose landing gear hit the runway first. After the nose landing gear struck the runway, the rudder was jammed, and the airplane departed the runway surface. The airplane struck a runway light before coming to a stop. Examination of the airplane found that firewall damage had impacted and jammed the nosewheel steering and rudder controls. Damage to the airplane's left-wing leading edge, and substantial damage to the left horizontal stabilizer, and elevator were also noted.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, he departed in a single-seat homebuilt airplane; however, the airplane did not feel "stable", so he elected to abort the takeoff. During touchdown, the airplane's nose landing gear hit the runway first. After the nose landing gear struck the runway, the rudder was jammed, and the airplane departed the runway surface. The airplane struck a runway light before coming to a stop. Examination of the airplane found that firewall damage had impacted and jammed the nosewheel steering and rudder controls. Damage to the airplane's left-wing leading edge, and substantial damage to the left horizontal stabilizer, and elevator were also noted.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N951X
- Reported as
- Sonex Onex
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- ONX0028
- Built
- 2017
- Airframe hours
- 9
- Engine
- Revmaster 2300, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · September 23, 2019
- Departed
- ANE · Minneapolis, MN
- Destination
- ANE · Minneapolis, MN
- Airport
- ANE · Anoka County-Blaine Airport, runway 27, 5,000 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Angle of attack indicator, ADS-B
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
- 82
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Sport pilot, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 2, 2020
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 884 total · 5.3 in this make and model · 849 as pilot in command · 1.2 in the last 90 days · 1.2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.92 inHg
- Observed at
- KANE
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 9, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.4 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.