- Date
- November 17, 2009, 16:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Plant City, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N917ZZParadise USA Paradise P-1 Slsa LW
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 6, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20091117051499A
- Case key
- 75074
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 while landing, which resulted in a hard landing.
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 of the special light sport airplane had completed an uneventful full-stop landing and was conducting a second full-stop landing on the asphalt runway. During the landing flare, the left wing dropped slightly and the airplane landed hard. The left main landing gear separated and the airplane came to rest on grass after veering off the left side of the runway. The airplane incurred damage to to the horizontal stabilator. The pilot stated that he did not experience any mechanical malfunctions during the accident. The wind was reported as calm about the time of the accident.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the special light sport airplane had completed an uneventful full-stop landing, and was conducting a second full-stop landing on the asphalt runway. During the landing flare, the left wing dropped slightly, and the airplane landed hard. The left main landing gear separated, the airplane veered off the left side of the runway, and came to rest on grass. Damage to the airplane included substantial damage to the horizontal stabilator. The pilot stated that he did not experience any mechanical malfunctions during the accident. He reported 162 hours of total flight experience, which included 51 hours in the same make and model as the accident airplane. The wind was reported as calm about the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N917ZZ
- Reported as
- Paradise USA Paradise P-1 Slsa LW
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 0095
- Airframe hours
- 90
- Engine
- Rotax 912ULS, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · November 17, 2009
- Departed
- PCM · Plant City, FL
- Destination
- PCM · Plant City, FL
- Airport
- PCM · Plant City Airport, runway 28, 3,948 × 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
- 59
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 1, 2009
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 162 total · 51 in this make and model · 61 as pilot in command · 35 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.97 inHg
- Observed at
- PCM
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 8, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 643 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.