- Date
- October 28, 2025, 14:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- McRae-Helena, GA · On Airport
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N222HFHugh Nunnally Farrior Cozy MK IV
- Defining event
- Landing: Landing gear not configured
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 14, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- Case key
- 201951
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 failure to extend the nose landing gear, which resulted in a nose gear up landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s inappropriate decision to continue to fly with known delamination damage to the propeller.
Findings · 3
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 and builder of the experimental airplane reported that in cruise flight about 1,700 ft above ground level, he felt a vibration that progressively intensified. He elected to make a precautionary landing at a nearby airport; however, he forgot to extend the nose landing gear, and the airplane’s nose contacted the runway surface during landing, which resulted in substantial damage to the lower fuselage. Post accident examination revealed that the composite propeller had shed a portion of its nickel-plated leading edge and exhibited damage consistent with delamination. Further examination by the propeller manufacturer revealed that the delamination was the result of heat damage and a total failure of the propeller was imminent. About 5 months before the accident, the pilot contacted the propeller manufacturer and provided photographs that revealed early stage delamination damage to the propeller. He was advised by several company representatives that the damage was the result of heat due to the location and proximity of the engine exhaust to the propeller, and that he should not continue to fly with that propeller.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N222HF
- Reported as
- Hugh Nunnally Farrior Cozy MK IV
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 0247
- Built
- 2024
- Airframe hours
- 54
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-D1A, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · May 8, 2024
- Departed
- AHN · Athens, GA
- Destination
- VDF · Tampa, FL
- Airport
- MQW · Telfair-Wheeler, runway 03/21, 5,001 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Satellite tracking device, Onboard weather, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display, Data recorder, Auto-pilot
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
- 64
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 23, 2024
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,572 total · 54 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 11 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,900 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.99 inHg
- Observed at
- EZM, 17 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KEZM 282135Z AUTO 06007KT 10SM OVC019 13/10 A2999
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 14, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.4 MB in all.