- Date
- August 9, 1997, 08:48 local (14:48 UTC)
- Place
- Aspen, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N542EZCessna 305A (L-19)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 30, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970809021529A
- Case key
- 20309
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
Failure of the pilot to maintain direction control of the aircraft during landing roll, which resulted in a ground swerve and subsequent collapse of the right main landing gear. A related factor was the pilot's lack of experience in the make and model of aircraft.
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
During a touch-and-go landing roll, the aircraft veered to the right. The pilot said he applied left rudder, then the aircraft to veer to the left. He then applied right rudder and brake, which had little effect on directional control. Subsequently, the aircraft slide sideways, and the right main landing gear collapsed. Wind at the time was from 360 degrees at 4 knots. The pilot reported he had 1 hour of experience in the aircraft.
Factual narrative
On August 9, 1997, at 0848 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 305A (L-19), N542EZ, sustained substantial damage when one main landing gear collapsed during landing roll at Aspen, Colorado. The private pilot and passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for this local area personal flight conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91 and no flight plan was filed.
According to the pilot, he was on his fourth touch-and-go landing and following touch down, the aircraft veered to the right. He said that left rudder input veered the aircraft left and right rudder and brake had little effect on directional control. The aircraft slid sideways and the right main landing gear collapsed causing damage to the right wing, elevator, and propeller.
Recorded wind at the Aspen Airport at the time of the accident was from 360 degrees magnetic at 4 knots. There were no recorded gusts.
According to information supplied by the pilot on NTSB Form 6120.1/2, he had 1 hour experience in this make and model aircraft.
Examination of the aircraft by a mechanic, at the facility where the aircraft was taken for repairs, provided no evidence of a preaccident failure or malfunction.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N542EZ
- Reported as
- Cessna 305A (L-19) (305A (L-19)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22169
- Airframe hours
- 4,740
- Engine
- Continental O-470-11B, 280 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Pangaia Air Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 3, 1997 · 183 hours before
- Departed
- ASE
- Airport
- ASE · Aspen, runway 15, 7,004 × 100 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 28
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 346 total · 1 in this make and model · 256 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ASE, 1 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.