# NTSB CHI02CA196: Grenier Acro Sport, N1419, Jacksonville, IL, June 30, 2002 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: June 30, 2002, 10:00 local (15:00 UTC) - Place: Jacksonville, IL - Coordinates: 39.774723, -90.238334 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.7747&lon=-90.2383&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report September 9, 2002 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 55250 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CHI02CA196 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/55250/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=55250 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI02CA196 ## Probable cause The probable cause of this accident is a failure of the left main landing gear attachment bolt and the subsequent collapse of the left main landing gear. Repeated hard landings was a factor and a lack of recent experience were contributing factors. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Hard landing, landing - flare/touchdown - lack of recent experience in kind of aircraft, pilot in command (contributing factor) - flare - misjudged, pilot in command (contributing factor) - proper descent rate - not maintained, pilot in command (contributing factor) - Main gear collapsed, landing - flare/touchdown - landing gear,main gear attachment - failure (cause) - On ground/water encounter with terrain/water, landing ## Analysis On June 30, 2002, at approximately 1000 central daylight time, an amateur-built, single-place Grenier Acro Sport, N1419, piloted by a private pilot, was substantially damaged when it experienced a hard landing. The pilot was practicing takeoffs and landings on runway 22 (4,001 feet x 75 feet, asphalt) at the Jacksonville Municipal Airport (IJX), Jacksonville, Illinois, when the accident occurred. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight was being conducted under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 and was not on a flight plan. The pilot reported no injuries. ## Factual narrative On June 30, 2002, at approximately 1000 central daylight time, an amateur-built, single-place Grenier Acro Sport, N1419, piloted by a private pilot, was substantially damaged when it experienced a hard landing at the Jacksonville Municipal Airport (IJX), Jacksonville, Illinois. The pilot was practicing takeoffs and landings on runway 22 (4,001 feet x 75 feet, asphalt) when the accident occurred. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight was being conducted under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 and was not on a flight plan. The pilot reported no injuries. The pilot stated: "I was on final approach on runway 220, attempting a wheel landing when I caused the aircraft to hit the runway too hard. I heard and felt the left wheel give way, bounced a small distance, and then skidded on the runway . . .. The aircraft skidded to the left off the runway into the grass area." In a phone interview, the pilot stated that he had attempted to land three (3) times previously, each time initiating a go-around after touching down at an excessive rate of descent and becoming airborne again. The pilot holds a private pilot certificate, with an airplane - single-engine land rating, and a valid third class medical certificate. He last completed a biennial flight review in September 2000, and has accumulated 600 hours total time. Of that flight time, one (1) hour was in the same make and model as the accident aircraft. The Grenier Acro Sport, S/N 499, involved in the accident had completed an inspection on June 28, 2002, and accumulated one (1) hour since then. Total time on the aircraft was not reported. The pilot did not report any malfunctions prior to the accident. Evaluation of the aircraft after the accident indicated that the left main landing gear attachment bolt failed at the strut-to-fuselage fitting. A review of the airplane by the FAA inspector on-scene revealed that the wing spar had been broken and a fuselage longeron was bent in the area of the left main landing gear attachment fitting. Weather conditions at the scene were reported by the pilot as clear skies, light winds (040 degrees at five (5) knots), and no turbulence. The Jacksonville airport (IJX) AWOS, at 1007 cdt, reported clear skies and calm winds. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N1419](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N1419-2011-08-03), registration cancelled 2011-08-03, S/N 499, built 1980 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Grenier Acro Sport - Registry model: [Grenier Raymond H. EAA ACRO SPORT](https://openairdocs.org/model/grenier-raymond-h-eaa-acro-sport) (registry code 3360325) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-290 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-290-series) (registry code 41506, 4 cycle) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 499 - Engines: Lycoming O-290 140 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: G. Ronald Kesinger, doing business as G. Ronald Kesinger - Registered owner: G. Ronald Kesinger - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: Condition, June 28, 2002 - Departed: IJX, Jacksonville, IL - Airport: IJX, Jacksonville Muni, runway 22, 4,001 × 75 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 63; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; last flight review September 1, 2000; seat: single; flight hours: 600 total, 1 in this make and model, 500 as pilot in command, 1 in the last 90 days, 1 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: calm - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 81 °F, dew point 72 °F - Altimeter: 30.06 inHg - Observed at: IJX ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20020630038179A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020630038179A), Jun 30, 2002: Amtr ACROSPORT, Jacksonville, IL, Substantial damage. (-23) The owner and properly certificated pilot and sole occupant of the single place aircraft was attempting to land after a short flight, when he lost… ## Docket (2 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 16, 2002, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=55250. 487 KB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 326 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40447816&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF - Acro Sport II Photos (item 2, .PDF, 160 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40164910&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Acro%20Sport%20II%20Photos-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.