- Date
- May 24, 2014, 09:18 local (16:18 UTC)
- Place
- Lewiston, ID
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N601ABFdr601 Zodiac 601XL
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 30, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20140524007989A
- Case key
- 89286
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 flare during landing.
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 stated that he flared the airplane too soon during the landing. The airplane bounced and then landed nose wheel first, collapsing the nose gear strut. Upon further inspection it was determined that the firewall was substantially damage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that he flared the airplane too soon during the landing. The airplane bounced and then landed nose wheel first, collapsing the nose gear strut. Upon further inspection it was determined that the firewall was substantially damage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N601AB
- Reported as
- Fdr601 Zodiac 601XL
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 6-4994
- Built
- 2012
- Airframe hours
- 46
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Franklin R. Miles
- Registered owner
- Fdr601 LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · February 5, 2014
- Departed
- KLWS · Lewiston, ID
- Destination
- KLWS · Lewiston, ID
- Airport
- KLWS · Lewiston-Nex Perce County Airp, runway 12, 5,000 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- 79
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Last flight review
- August 16, 2013
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,355 total · 46 in this make and model · 1,340 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 2.9 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 7,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.07 inHg
- Observed at
- KLWS
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 20, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.5 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.