# NTSB WPR11LA405: Juneau Stol CH-701, N701BZ, Snohomish, WA, August 18, 2011 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: August 18, 2011, 15:30 local (22:30 UTC) - Place: Snohomish, WA - Coordinates: 48.032775, -122.007774 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=48.0328&lon=-122.0078&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report October 17, 2011 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Western Pacific Region - Parties: Federal Aviation Adminstration FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 81584 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR11LA405 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/81584/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=81584 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR11LA405 ## Probable cause The pilot's improper landing flare, which resulted in a stall and a hard landing. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Juneau Tim STOL CH 701, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=05629N0), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md) - [Performance/control parameters: landing flare](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062041): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Incorrect use/operation (probable cause); cases with it: [Juneau Tim STOL CH 701, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062041/cases.md?model=05629N0), [All aircraft, 1,285 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062041/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) (defining event); cases with it: [Juneau Tim STOL CH 701, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md?model=05629N0), [All aircraft, 5,002 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md) - [Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092); cases with it: [Juneau Tim STOL CH 701, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md?model=05629N0), [All aircraft, 2,102 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md) ## Analysis The sport pilot reported that he was relocating the experimental amateur-built airplane to his short home airstrip, which was bordered by trees, grapevines, and a pond. He performed three precautionary approaches to the runway in order to assess the wind conditions, and on the final approach elected to land. The airplane made contact with the runway short of his intended touchdown point; it landed hard and bounced, collapsing the nose landing gear. He said he flared the airplane early, prior to touchdown, and it subsequently stalled about 5 feet above the ground. The pilot was not injured, and the airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall and left wing spar during the accident sequence. The accident flight was the first time he had landed at the airstrip. ## Factual narrative On August 18, 2011, about 1530 Pacific daylight time, a Juneau (Zenith Aircraft Company) STOL CH-701, N701BZ, landed hard at a private grass airstrip near Snohomish, Washington. The owner/builder was operating the experimental amateur-built airplane under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The sport pilot was not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall and left wing spar during the accident sequence. The flight departed Arlington Municipal Airport, Arlington, Washington, about 1500. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The pilot reported that he was relocating the airplane to his home airstrip, and that trees, grapevines, and a pond bordered the intended landing area. He performed three precautionary approaches to the east runway in order to assess the wind conditions, and on the final approach elected to land. The airplane made contact with the ground about 60 feet short of his intended touchdown point; it landed hard and bounced, collapsing the nose landing gear. He reported that he flared the airplane early prior to touchdown, and it subsequently stalled about 5 feet above the ground. The pilot stated that this was the first time he had landed at the airstrip, which was about 500 feet long. According to Zenith Aircraft Company, the airplane has a ground roll landing distance of between 80 and 140 feet. The airplane's total time since manufacture was 35 flight hours, and as such, it had not yet completed its 40 hours of Phase One experimental operating limitations. The pilot reported a total flight experience of 126 hours, 35 of which were in the accident airplane. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N701BZ](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N701BZ), registered now, S/N 7-6065, built 2010 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: JUNEAU (Zenith Aircraft Co) STOL CH-701 - Registry model: [Juneau Tim STOL CH 701](https://openairdocs.org/model/juneau-tim-stol-ch-701) (registry code 05629N0) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Rotax 912UL](https://openairdocs.org/engine/rotax-912ul) (registry code 55592, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane, amateur-built - Serial number: 7-6065 - Airframe hours: 35 - Engines: Rotax 912ULS 100 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Juneau Tim W - Registered owner: Juneau Tim W - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: Condition, May 25, 2010, 35 hours before - Departed: AWO, Arlington, WA - Destination: PVT, Snohomish, WA - Airport: PVT, Snohomish Private Airstrip, runway 27, 500 × 40 ft, grass/turf ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 66; injuries: none; sport pilot; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: sport pilot; last flight review September 17, 2010; seat: left; flight hours: 126 total, 35 in this make and model, 73 as pilot in command, 11 in the last 90 days, 4 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 320° at 6 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 11,000 ft broken - Temperature: 70 °F, dew point 54 °F - Altimeter: 30.15 inHg - Observed at: KAWO, 11 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20110818018049A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20110818018049A), Aug 18, 2011: Juneau Tim STOL CH 701, Snohomish, WA, Substantial damage. Off-airport landing: landed short of intended td area. Hit rough terrain, bounced and nosed over, damaging nose gear, propeller, and left wing tip. ## Docket (4 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 13, 2011, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=81584. 860 KB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 463 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40353719&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - Airplane Performance Data Recovered From www.zenithair.com on September 8, 2011 (item 2, .PDF, 145 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40353723&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Airplane%20Performance%20Data%20Recovered%20From%20www.zenithair.com%20on%20September%208,%202011-Master.PDF - Photo 1: Airplane Positioned at Approach End of East Runway (item 3, .PDF, 133 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40353727&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%201%3A%20Airplane%20Positioned%20at%20Approach%20End%20of%20East%20Runway-Master.PDF - Photo 2: Airplane Positioned at Approach End of East Runway (item 4, .PDF, 119 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40353728&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%202%3A%20Airplane%20Positioned%20at%20Approach%20End%20of%20East%20Runway-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.