FTW98LA155

The pilot was cleared to runway 03 to perform a high speed taxi. He reportedly told the tower controller that 'if things feel right,' he would fly. The pilot said he attained approximately 80 miles per hour, 'pulled back slowly on the yoke and experienced a sudden nose pitch up. I must have pushed down on the yoke and the nose came down,' and the airplane struck the runway. The airplane began porpoising before striking the runway again and collapsing the nose landing gear. The airplane then skidded to a stop. The pilot said he had placed 90 pounds of lead ballast in the nose area to simulate the weight of a passenger. According to an FAA inspector, the ballast should have been placed in the passenger seat to correctly simulate a passenger on board.

On March 21, 1998, at 0733 mountain standard time, a Zito ZMI-A, N669Z, was substantially damaged when it became airborne during what was supposed to be a high speed taxi test at Ogden, Utah. The private pilot sustained a minor injury. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local test flight being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight was originating at the time of the accident.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the pilot designed this one-of-a-kind airplane, and spent the last 25 years in its construction. Construction was completed in 1993 and an experimental certificate of airworthiness was issued. The airplane had accrued 1.1 hours of taxi time, but had yet to be flown.

The pilot was cleared to runway 03 to perform a high speed taxi. The pilot reportedly told the tower control controller that "if things feel right," he would fly. According to the pilot's accident report, he attained approximately 80 miles per hour and "pulled back slowly on the yoke [stab. (sic), stabilizer] and experienced a sudden nose pitch up. I must have pushed down on the yoke and the nose came down" and the airplane struck the runway. The airplane began porpoising before striking the runway again and collapsing the nose landing gear. The airplane then skidded to a stop. The pilot said the rear portion of the fuselage was "broken."

Witnesses told an FAA inspector that they saw the airplane become airborne and climb to about 10 or 15 feet. The nose pitched up, then down, and the airplane struck the runway. It bounced back into the air. The nose pitched up, then down, struck the runway again, and skidded 687 feet before coming to a halt. There was asphalt damage to the runway.

The pilot told the FAA inspector that he had placed 90 pounds of lead ballast in the nose area to simulate a passenger. The inspector pointed out to the pilot that the ballast should have been placed in the passenger seat to correctly simulate a passenger on board.

The pilot said his physician told him he had sustained "a hairline fracture of a lumbar vertebra." The pilot indicated in his accident report that his injuries were "none."