# NTSB ERA15LA381: Brown James W Zenith Stol CH 750, N330B, Charlotte, VT, August 7, 2015 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: August 7, 2015, 14:00 local (18:00 UTC) - Place: Charlotte, VT - Coordinates: 44.316665, -73.25 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.3167&lon=-73.2500&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing-landing roll: Landing gear collapse](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report July 20, 2017 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 92305 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA15LA381 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/92305/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=92305 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA15LA381 ## Probable cause The pilot’s inadequate compensation for a crosswind during landing, which resulted in a side load application to the nose landing gear and its subsequent collapse. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Brown James W ZENITH STOL CH 750, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=05629RH), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md) - [Wind: crosswind](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034040): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Response/compensation (probable cause); cases with it: [Brown James W ZENITH STOL CH 750, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034040/cases.md?model=05629RH), [All aircraft, 1,008 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034040/cases.md) - [Landing gear system: nose/tail landing gear](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023220): Aircraft › Aircraft systems · Capability exceeded (probable cause); cases with it: [Brown James W ZENITH STOL CH 750, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023220/cases.md?model=05629RH), [All aircraft, 185 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023220/cases.md) - [Landing gear system: nose/tail landing gear](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023220): Aircraft › Aircraft systems · Failure (probable cause); cases with it: [Brown James W ZENITH STOL CH 750, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023220/cases.md?model=05629RH), [All aircraft, 185 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023220/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing-landing roll: Landing gear collapse](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094) (defining event); cases with it: [Brown James W ZENITH STOL CH 750, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094/sequence.md?model=05629RH), [All aircraft, 1,787 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094/sequence.md) ## Analysis The commercial pilot of the experimental amateur-built airplane stated that, during landing on the turf runway with an 8-knot crosswind, the nose landing gear collapsed and the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. Examination of the nose landing gear fork and doubler revealed that the materials and construction met manufacturer's specifications. Additionally, the assembly exhibited kinematic deformation, indicative of side loading. Therefore, it is likely that the pilot failed to adequately compensate for the crosswind conditions during landing, which resulted in the side loading of the nose landing gear and its subsequent collapse. ## Factual narrative On August 7, 2015, about 1400 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Zenith STOL CH 750, N330B, was substantially damaged by a nose landing gear collapse and nose-over event after landing at a private grass airstrip in Charlotte, Vermont. The commercial pilot and a passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight, which was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.According to the builder/owner of the airplane, the pilot and the passenger were flying the airplane because the passenger was interested in purchasing it. According to the pilot, he established the airplane on a "normal" approach for landing at the airplane owner's private airstrip, after picking up the passenger and completing a short flight in the local area. The pilot reported the runway was oriented 190 degrees, and that there was a crosswind from 270 degrees at 8 knots. Upon touchdown, the nose landing gear fork "deformed," the wheel locked, and dug into the turf. The airplane then nosed over. The wings, firewall, and vertical stabilizer were substantially damaged. A witness familiar with the airplane said she saw the landing, but not the nose-over event. She said the landing appeared "a little faster than I had seen before." The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single engine land, multiengine land and instrument airplane. His most recent second-class medical certificate was issued on June 16, 2015. The pilot reported 2,130 total hours of flight experience, of which 46 hours were in the accident airplane make and model. The two-seat, single-engine, high-wing airplane was manufactured in 1974 and was equipped with a Continental O-200 series engine. Its most recent annual inspection was completed on September 18, 2014. At the time of the accident, the airplane had accrued 54.8 total aircraft hours. The pilot suggested that because the replacement nose landing gear assembly received after the accident was "more robust" than the originally-installed assembly, the original design was "too lightweight." The nose landing gear fork and doubler assembly was examined in the NTSB Materials Laboratory in Washington, DC. Examination revealed that the materiel and the dimensions of the assembly met the specifications of the manufacturer's engineering drawings. Additionally, the "kinematic deformation" of the doubler assembly was consistent with a side-load application. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N330B](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N330B), registered now, S/N 75-7469, built 2008 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BROWN JAMES W ZENITH STOL CH 750 (NO SERIES) - Registry model: [Brown James W ZENITH STOL CH 750](https://openairdocs.org/model/brown-james-w-zenith-stol-ch-750) (registry code 05629RH) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental O-200A](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-o-200a) (registry code 17404, 4 cycle) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane, amateur-built - Serial number: 75-7469 - Year built: 2008 - Airframe hours: 54.8 - Engines: Continental O-200-A 100 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: Condition, September 18, 2014 - Departed: VT8, Shelburne, VT - Destination: NONE, Charlotte, VT - Airport: NONE, Pvt, runway 19, 1,200 × 50 ft, grass/turf - Equipment: Unknown ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 59; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; last flight review July 16, 2015; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 2,130 total, 46 in this make and model ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: variable at 3 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 5,000 ft broken - Temperature: 73 °F, dew point 48 °F - Altimeter: 29.98 inHg - Observed at: KBTV, 10 nm away ## Docket (5 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 25, 2017, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=92305. 2.0 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 613 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40452258&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF - Materials Laboratory Factual Report (item 2, .PDF, 572 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40455984&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Materials%20Laboratory%20Factual%20Report-Master.PDF - Witness (item 3, .PDF, 30 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40452260&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Witness-Master.PDF - Photos (item 4, .PDF, 2 photos, 683 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40452261&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photos-Master.PDF - Parts Return Receipt (item 5, .PDF, 80 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40452262&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Parts%20Return%20Receipt-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.