Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Pangborn Memorial Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
East Wenatchee, Washington 98802
Wednesday, April 4, 2007 18:00 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot reported that as the aircraft lifted off of the runway, he heard a "sound" from behind the passenger seat. The pilot received a radio call from another aircraft informing him that the "left landing gear did not look right." The pilot could not see the left landing gear leg from his seat, so he made a low, slow pass over an observer on the ground, who informed him via radio that the landing gear was "detached from the strut and dangling from the center of the fuselage." The pilot circled around and made a precautionary landing. The aircraft momentarily touched down on just the right main wheel and tail wheel, and then the left wing lowered and contacted the runway. The pilot was unable to maintain directional control, and the aircraft ground looped to the left, coming to a rest in an upright position. Post-accident inspection of the aircraft by one of the owners revealed that the left landing gear lock nut was missing a lock nut set screw. According to the owner, without the set screw it is possible that the lock nut could have unthreaded, which would have allowed the cylinder assembly to separate from the axle strut assembly.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Separation of the left main landing gear shock absorbing strut during takeoff. A missing screw was a factor.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/4/2007 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1800 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | East Wenatchee |
| Event State | WASHINGTON |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 98802 |
| Event Date Year | 2007 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 472354N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1201222W |
| Event Location Airport | PANGBORN MEMORIAL |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | EAT |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0.5 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 1249 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1855 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 210 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KEAT |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1249 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 7000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 5000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 12 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 0 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 120 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.17 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 22309 |
| NTSB Notification Source | TSA - KEAT |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 5 2007 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 27 2007 11:30AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Spokane, Washington |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N6096F |
| NTSB Number | SEA07LA093 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Champion |
| Aircraft Model | 7ECA |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 7ECA-352 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1650 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| 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 | Apr 1 2006 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 1690 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Daniel W. Morasch/Patricia Moore |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | East Wenatchee |
| Aircraft Owner State | WA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 98802 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Daniel Morasch |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Airport Code | EAT |
| Departure City | WENATCHEE |
| Departure State | WA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1750 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | WENATCHEE |
| Destination State | WA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 17 2007 1:32PM |
| User who most recently changed record | STAM |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 7 |
| Runway Length | 4460 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |