# NTSB ERA12LA296: Jones SA105, N320WJ, New Smyrna Beach, FL, April 3, 2012

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report
- Date: April 3, 2012, 11:45 local (15:45 UTC)
- Place: New Smyrna Beach, FL
- Coordinates: 29.055555, -80.94889 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.0556&lon=-80.9489&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Taxi](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/250) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Taxi-to runway: Landing gear collapse](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 1 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report May 9, 2013
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties: FAA/FSDO
- NTSB case key (mKey): 83449
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA12LA296
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/83449/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=83449
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA12LA296

## Probable cause

The failure of the nose landing gear wooden attachment/support structure, which resulted in collapse of the nose landing gear during taxi. Contributing to the accident was the improper design of the nose landing gear attachment structure.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Landing gear system: nose/tail gear attach section](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023221): Aircraft › Aircraft systems · Failure (probable cause); cases with it: [Jones SA105, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023221/cases.md?model=05629BC), [All aircraft, 29 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023221/cases.md)
- [Landing gear system: main landing gear attach sec](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023211): Aircraft › Aircraft systems · Design (probable cause); cases with it: [Jones SA105, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023211/cases.md?model=05629BC), [All aircraft, 66 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023211/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Taxi-to runway: Landing gear collapse](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094) (defining event); cases with it: [Jones SA105, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094/sequence.md?model=05629BC), [All aircraft, 1,787 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094/sequence.md)

## Analysis

The ground controller instructed the pilot to taxi the airplane to the active runway. The pilot stated that the taxiway that he was instructed to taxi on was “very rough,” so he elected to taxi the airplane in the grass as he had done several times before. When the nose gear came in contact with the grass area, the pilot heard a loud noise, and the nose landing gear collapsed. An examination of the wreckage revealed that the airplane’s wood structure fractured at the nose gear assembly attachment location, which ripped through the bottom fuselage area under the rudder pedals section. After the wood structure of the nose gear assembly fractured, the surrounding structure was unable to support the load on the nose landing gear, which resulted in the nose landing gear collapse. According to a mechanic who performed work on the airplane, the wooden design of the airplane was not able to support the loads for that type of landing gear system.

## Factual narrative

On April 3, 2012, at 1145, eastern daylight time, an experimental, amateur built, Jones Cavalier SA105, N320WJ, registered to and operated by an individual, nose landing gear collapsed while taxiing at the New Smyrna Beach Municipal Airport (EVB), New Smyrna, Florida. The pilot was not injured and the airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, personal flight. The flight was originating at the time of the accident. According to the pilot, he was instructed by the ground controller to taxi to the active runway. The taxiway that he was instructed to taxi on was “very rough,” therefore, he elected to taxi the airplane in the grass as he had done several times before. When the nose gear came in contact with the grass area, the pilot heard a loud noise, and the nose landing gear collapsed. Then the pilot exited the airplane without incident. An examination by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the airplane’s wood structure fractured at the nose gear assembly attachment location, which ripped through the bottom fuselage area under the rudder pedals section. The airplane was in phase one testing for certification and had accumulated a total of about 30 flight hours with 50 landings. Further examination of the nose landing gear revealed that the wooden rib brace, which supported the nose gear retract A-frame trunnions had fractured. According to FAA records, the airplane was built in 1973, but the airworthiness certificate was issued on January 5, 2012. According to a mechanic who performed work on the airplane, the wooden design of the airplane was not able to support the loads for that type of landing gear system.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N320WJ](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N320WJ-2018-06-08), registration cancelled 2018-06-08, S/N 6817, built 1973 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: JONES SA105
- Registry model: [Jones SA105](https://openairdocs.org/model/jones-sa105) (registry code 05629BC) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Lycoming IO-320-B1C](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-320-b1c) (registry code 41909, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number: 6817
- Airframe hours: 28
- Engines: lycoming IO-320-BIC 160 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal; Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection: Annual, August 25, 2011
- Departed: EVB, New Smyrna Beach, FL
- Destination: EVB, New Smyrna Beach, FL
- Airport: EVB, New Smyrna Beach Municipal

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 36; injuries: none; commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; last flight review March 19, 2011; seat: left; flight hours: 4,100 total, 27 in this make and model, 3,800 as pilot in command, 40 in the last 90 days, 15 in the last 30 days, 0 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 80° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 82 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observed at: EVB

## 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 20120403005969A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120403005969A), Apr 3, 2012: Jones SA105, New Smyrna Beac, FL, Substantial damage. An experimental aircraft operating on phase 1 flights in the new Smyrna Beach test area prescribed encountered a second gear malfunction. The aircraft recently…

## Docket (9 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 21, 2013, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=83449. 2.5 MB in all.

- Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 517 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40369863&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF
- Other Pertinent Forms and Reports:FAA Airworthiness Documentation. (item 2, .PDF, 1.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40382428&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Other%20Pertinent%20Forms%20and%20Reports%3AFAA%20Airworthiness%20Documentation.-Redacted.PDF
- Excerpts of Damage Report (item 3, .PDF, 124 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40371025&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Excerpts%20of%20Damage%20Report-Redacted.PDF
- Record of Conversation (item 4, .PDF, 52 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40382432&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Record%20of%20Conversation-Master.PDF
- Miscellaneous: Nose Landing Gear Brace Bracket Drawing Section. (item 5, .PDF, 45 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40382427&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Miscellaneous%3A%20Nose%20Landing%20Gear%20Brace%20Bracket%20Drawing%20Section.-Master.PDF
- Weather Reports and Records (item 6, .PDF, 391 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40371026&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Weather%20Reports%20and%20Records-Master.PDF
- Photo 1)View of the Nose Landing Gear Assembly. Photo Provided by FAA. (item 7, .PDF, 54 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40382429&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%201)View%20of%20the%20Nose%20Landing%20Gear%20Assembly.%20Photo%20Provided%20by%20FAA.-Master.PDF
- Photo 2) View of the Nose Landing Gear Truss Assembly and damage in the Wheel Well Area. Photo Provided by FAA. (item 8, .PDF, 51 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40382430&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%202)%20View%20of%20the%20Nose%20Landing%20Gear%20Truss%20Assembly%20and%20damage%20in%20the%20Wheel%20Well%20Area.%20Photo%20Provided%20by%20FAA.-Master.PDF
- Photo 3)View of the Damage to the Airplane's Wooden Structure were the Nose Landing Gear Truss Assembly Attaches to. Photo Provided by FAA. (item 9, .PDF, 50 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40382431&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%203)View%20of%20the%20Damage%20to%20the%20Airplane%27s%20Wooden%20Structure%20were%20the%20Nose%20Landing%20Gear%20Truss%20Assembly%20Attaches%20to.%20Photo%20Provided%20by%20FAA.-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.