Pilot Debrief

CZECH SPORT AIRCRAFT AS PIPER SPORT near Stuart, FL — 2018-08-15

Final reportERA18LA220
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Date
2018-08-15
Location
Stuart, FL, USA
Airport
SUA
Aircraft
CZECH SPORT AIRCRAFT AS PIPER SPORT
Registration
N425AZ
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Landing

Probable cause

Inadequate maintenance inspection of the airplane's nose landing gear, which resulted in a nose landing gear collapse during landing due to cracking and corrosion.

NTSB narrative

The sport pilot was conducting a personal flight in the special light sport airplane. During landing, the airplane touched down normally on the main landing gear. After 50 ft of ground roll, the nose landing gear touched down and collapsed; one propeller blade subsequently separated, and the airplane came to rest upright on the runway. Examination of the airplane revealed that the nose landing gear had separated at a location that the airplane maintenance manual (AMM) and a service bulletin (SB) indicate should be inspected for cracks. The separated fracture surfaces exhibited cracking and corrosion. Review of the SB revealed that due to the development of cracks, an inspection for cracks per the AMM should occur every 25 flight hours or 50 cycles, whatever occurs first. The AMM stated to use a flashlight and 10x magnifier to visually inspect the nose landing gear leg lower section and verify that there is no evidence of cracking in paint on or around the place of the weld between the tube and the bracket. The most recent documented nose landing gear inspection was about 2 years 5 months before the accident. Thus, it is likely that the nose landing gear was not adequately inspected and cracks and corrosion were therefore undetected, which led to the nose landing gear collapse during landing.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Mechanical failure
First missed decision gate
Inspection of nose landing gear prior to flight could have prevented failure.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 7 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents7

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