- Date
- October 17, 2013, 16:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Milford, UT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N67MGL Goldner Zenith 701
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Landing gear collapse
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 19, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20131017018909A
- Case key
- 88238
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 pilot's improper decision to execute a precautionary landing to unsuitable terrain.
Findings · 3
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 while en route on the cross-country flight he noticed that the cylinder head temperature was rising. Suspecting a water leak through the cooling hose, he surveyed the remote area and made a precautionary landing on what appeared to be suitable terrain. After touchdown and during the landing roll the airplane encountered uneven ground, which resulted in the collapse of the nose landing gear and substantial damage to the airplane's right wing and empennage. In a written statement, the pilot reported that he should not have landed until he had located better terrain. The pilot reported no preimpact loss of engine power.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that while en route on the cross-country flight he noticed that the cylinder head temperature was rising. Suspecting a water leak through the cooling hose, he surveyed the remote area and made a precautionary landing on what appeared to be suitable terrain. After touchdown and during the landing roll the airplane encountered uneven ground, which resulted in the collapse of the nose landing gear and substantial damage to the airplane's right wing and empennage. In a written statement, the pilot reported that he should not have landed until he had located better terrain. The pilot reported no preimpact loss of engine power.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N67MG
- Reported as
- L Goldner Zenith 701
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7-5298
- Built
- 2007
- Airframe hours
- 958
- Engine
- Rotax 912ULS, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Leslie Goldner
- Registered owner
- Leslie Goldner
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 23, 2012 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- ELY · Ely, NV
- Destination
- RIF · Richfield, UT
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
- 72
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Sport Pilot
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,367 total · 960 in this make and model · 1,327 as pilot in command · 24 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 100 statute miles
- Temperature
- 50 °F
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 29, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.2 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.