- Date
- January 22, 1995, 14:10 local (19:10 UTC)
- Place
- Boynton Beach, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N300FFGlassair III
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 11, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950122000659A
- Case key
- 37723
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
a violent shimmy of the nose gear for undetermined reason(s), which resulted in an on-ground loss of directional control and a subsequent nose over.
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
The pilot stated he was making a touch-and-go landing. During the landing, the nose gear started a violent shimmy. Subsequently, it turned from the path of travel, and the airplane nosed over. A witness, who observed the landing, confirmed the pilot's statement. Examination of the nose gear by an airframe and powerplant mechanic did not reveal evidence of a failure. No reason was found for the reported shimmy of the nose gear.
Factual narrative
On January 22, 1995, about 1410 eastern standard time, a Glassair III, N300FF, registered to Jack G. Rouse, experienced an on-ground loss of control during a touch-and-go landing at Willis Gliderport, Boynton Beach, Florida, while on a 14 CFR Part 91 flight. The airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted sustaining substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The commercial pilot and commercial pilot/passenger were not injured. The flight originated from Willis Gliderport, Florida, 1 hour before the accident.
The pilot stated he was making a touch-and-go landing. The nose gear started a violent shimmy after landing, turned perpendicular to the path of travel, and the airplane nosed over. A witness who observed the landing confirmed the pilot's statement, and stated the elevator was in the full up position during the landing rollout.
Examination of the nose gear by an airframe and powerplant mechanic revealed no evidence of a failure. The cause of the reported shimmy in the nose gear could not be determined.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N300FF
- Reported as
- Glassair III
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 3113
- Airframe hours
- 140
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-S1A5, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Jack G. Rouse
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 15, 1995 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- 1X4 · FL
- Airport
- 1X4 · Willis Gliderport, runway 9, 4,600 × 300 ft, grass/turf
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
- 49
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,331 total · 56 in this make and model · 1,201 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PBI, 6 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.