- Date
- September 21, 2017, 14:10 local (18:10 UTC)
- Place
- Franklin, PA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N40WHHencken William Pietenpol AIR Camper
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Landing gear collapse
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 23, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170921021539A
- Case key
- 96086
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 failure of the weld that connects the left main landing gear and the axle during the takeoff roll.
Findings · 2
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 reported that, during the takeoff roll, the experimental tailwheel-equipped airplane's left wing dropped. The pilot corrected with right aileron input and back pressure on the control yoke. However, the airplane veered off the runway, bounced, and then impacted the runway in a right-wing-low attitude. Subsequently, the airplane nosed over. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the weld that connects the left main landing gear and the axle had failed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and empennage.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during the takeoff roll, the experimental tailwheel-equipped airplane's left wing dropped. The pilot corrected with right aileron input and back pressure on the control yoke. However, the airplane veered off the runway, bounced, and impacted in a right wing low attitude. Subsequently the airplane nosed over. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the weld that connects the left main landing gear and the axle failed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and empennage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N40WH
- Reported as
- Hencken William Pietenpol AIR Camper (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 40
- Built
- 1986
- Airframe hours
- 106.7
- Engine
- Chevrolet Corvair, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · August 1, 2017
- Departed
- FKL · Franklin, PA
- Destination
- FKL · Franklin, PA
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- FKL · Venango Rgnl, runway 21, 5,200 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS
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
- 69
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 15, 2017
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 313 total · 12 in this make and model · 231 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.13 inHg
- Observed at
- KFKL
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 13, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.9 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.