WPR18LA109

The pilot was landing the weight-shift-control aircraft. Onboard video indicated that the aircraft was about 100 ft above ground level as it passed the runway midpoint and subsequently touched down with about 630 ft of runway remaining. The aircraft landed on the left side of the runway centerline then veered to the right and nosed over on the right side of the runway. The aircraft was equipped with two hydraulic disc brakes located on each of the main landing gear, which activated simultaneously by means of a foot pedal. The pilot performed an examination of the brakes after the accident and reported that the right wheel brake "had more stopping power" than the left wheel brake and attributed the loss of control to the braking power discrepancy between the two main wheels. He also stated that his long landing resulted in his application of heavier braking than usual. It is likely that the pilot's decision to continue the approach and landing despite the short runway distance remaining, and his subsequent use of heavy braking to stop on the available runway exacerbated the uneven braking effectiveness and contributed to the loss of control.

On March 11, 2018, about 1545 Pacific daylight time, an experimental Navajo HKS weight-shift-control aircraft, N1762C, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Arlington, Washington. The sport pilot sustained minor injuries. The aircraft was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported that he was landing when, shortly after the aircraft touched down on the main landing gear, he lowered the nose wheel and applied the brakes. The aircraft skidded to the right and came to rest on its right side opposite the direction of landing. An onboard camera revealed that the aircraft touched down left of the runway centerline about 2,800 ft along the 3,431-ft-long runway; shortly thereafter, it veered to the right and nosed over on the right side of the runway, resulting in substantial damage to the wing and its supporting structure. (see Figure 1.) Figure 1. Google earth view of the accident site The ground steering system comprised a left and right foot peg attached to each side of the nose landing gear strut. Both left and right main landing gear were equipped with hydraulic disc brakes, which operated simultaneously by means of a foot-controlled lever located above the left foot steering peg. The pilot performed an examination of the brakes after the accident and reported that the right wheel brake "had more stopping power" than the left wheel brake. He also stated that his long landing resulted in his application of heavier braking than usual.