Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Augusta, Kansas 67010
Friday, October 8, 2004 18:00 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The experimental amateur-built tailwheel airplane sustained substantial damage when the airplane nosed over during a landing. The pilot's accident report stated, "On touch down at private strip, landing slightly heavy but nothing excessive. Left main wheel contacted a slight depression and the axle separated. Left gear mainspring dug in causing plane to nose over [and] rotate to the left. Left over momentum caused the right wing to then strike the runway. After stopping, the tail then dropped back onto the ground." The pilot's safety recommendation stated that the "accident would not have happened if the axle assembly have been designed with adequate structure ... ." The axle manufacturer stated that ownership changed in November of 2000. The earlier company produced the WHLA7 Flange Mount Axles shipped with the accident airplane's kit. The current company designed the same model axle to have a "reinforcing ring welded to the base at the axle flange interface and the larger diameter hole in the flange base that accepts the axle stub." The manufacturer issued a Service Bulletin SRV101804 that showed the new design and an exchange program. That service bulletin is available through their website, www.matcomfg.com, on its technical support page.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The manufacturer's inadequate design/production of the landing gear axle leading to its separation and the airplanes subsequent nose over during the landing roll.. A factor was the axle's separation from its spring.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/8/2004 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1800 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Augusta |
| Event State | KANSAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 67010 |
| Event Date Year | 2004 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 374000N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0970101W |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | PVT |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1754 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 270 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | AAO |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1421 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 15 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 27 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 12 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 10 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.05 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 16844 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Oct 8 2004 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1910 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 28 2004 12:45PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Wichita, KS, FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N701TD |
| NTSB Number | CHI05CA003 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Sinclair |
| Aircraft Model | Zenith 701 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 7-3993 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1100 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Michael A. Sinclair |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 10608 SW 60th Street |
| Aircraft Owner City | Augusta |
| Aircraft Owner State | KS |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 67010 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | -- |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | -- |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | PVT |
| Departure City | Augusta |
| Departure State | KS |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1750 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | PVT |
| Destination City | Augusta |
| Destination State | KS |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing - roll |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 21 2004 5:47PM |
| User who most recently changed record | DINC |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 36 |
| Runway Length | 700 |
| Runway Width | 70 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |