- Date
- July 24, 2007, 10:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Columbia, IL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2498Marcellus Starduster SA-300
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 30, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20070724014159A
- Case key
- 66387
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 improper flare, which resulted in a hard landing and subsequent left main landing gear collapse.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The left main landing gear collapsed during landing on runway 21 (2,450 feet long by 150 feet wide, dry grass) . The pilot stated that on short final for runway 21 the airplane's sink rate was "higher than it should have been" and that he "did not correct it soon enough." The airplane landed hard, the pilot felt something "give" on the left side, and the left main landing gear collapsed. The pilot stated that the airplane then "swerved to the left" but he was able to stop the airplane on the runway. The pilot reported no mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Factual narrative
The experimental amateur-built airplane was substantially damaged when the left main landing gear collapsed during landing. The pilot stated that on short final for runway 21 (2,450 feet by 150 feet, turf) the airplane's sink rate was "higher than it should have been" and that he "did not correct it soon enough." The airplane landed hard, the pilot felt something "give" on the left side, and the left main landing gear collapsed. The pilot stated that the airplane then "swerved to the left" but he was able to stop the airplane on the runway. The pilot reported no mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2498
- Reported as
- Marcellus Starduster SA-300
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 7242
- Airframe hours
- 314
- Engine
- Continental E-185-3, 205 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · July 1, 2007
- Departed
- H49 · Columbia, IL
- Airport
- H49 · Columbia, runway 21, 2,450 × 150 ft, grass/turf
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
- 69
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 1, 2005
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 1,251 total · 90 in this make and model · 1,029 as pilot in command · 13 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.07 inHg
- Observed at
- CPS, 8 nm away
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 N2498 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.