- Date
- August 30, 2007, 12:45 local (17:45 UTC)
- Place
- Atlantic, IA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2540TNavion Navion H
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 31, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20070830018529A
- Case key
- 66803
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 and touchdown during landing resulting in overload failure of the left main landing gear. A contributing factor was the pilot's distraction due to the unlatched cabin door.
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 pilot stated the aircraft cabin door came unlatched shortly after takeoff. The pilot chose to return to the departure airport for landing on Runway 12 (3,133 feet by 75 feet, asphalt). He reported that the aircraft touched down on the left main gear, with a "slight drift." The left main gear subsequently collapsed. The aircraft came to rest approximately 1,000 feet down the runway and about 30 feet off the left side of the pavement. The pilot noted a "series of distractions" prevented him from concentrating on a safe landing.
Factual narrative
The airplane was substantially damaged when the left main landing gear collapsed during landing. The pilot stated the aircraft cabin door came unlatched shortly after takeoff. The pilot chose to return to the departure airport for landing on Runway 12 (3,133 feet by 75 feet, asphalt). He reported that the aircraft touched down on the left main gear, with a "slight drift." The left main gear subsequently collapsed. The aircraft came to rest approximately 1,000 feet down the runway and about 30 feet off the left side of the pavement. The pilot noted a "series of distractions" prevented him from concentrating on a safe landing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2540T
- Reported as
- Navion Navion H
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- NAV-4-2540
- Airframe hours
- 2,082.8
- Engine
- Teledyne Continental IO-550-R, 310 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Henningsen Air LLC, doing business as Henningsen Air LLC
- Registered owner
- Henningsen Air LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 1, 2007
- Departed
- KAIO · Atlantic, IA
- Destination
- KAIO · Atlantic, IA
- Airport
- KAIO · Atlantic Municipal, runway 12, 3,133 × 75 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 54
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 1, 2006
- Flight hours
- 2,543 total · 129 in this make and model · 2,343 as pilot in command · 41 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.