FETTERMAN LANNY R FIRESTAR II near Numidia, PA — 2013-08-16

Final reportERA13LA365

Date: 2013-08-16
Location: Numidia, PA, USA
Airport: 8PA0
Aircraft: FETTERMAN LANNY R FIRESTAR II
Registration: N598LF
Category: Airplane
Highest injury: None
Fatalities: 0
Phase of flight: Initial climb

Probable cause

A fatigue failure of the right main landing gear wheel axle attachment bracket, which resulted in a nose-over during a precautionary landing.

NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, just after takeoff in his experimental light-sport airplane, the engine began to "surge," so he chose to return to the airport to perform a precautionary landing. On final approach to the turf runway, the pilot reduced the engine power to idle, and the engine subsequently experienced a total loss of power. Upon touchdown, the right main landing gear (MLG) wheel separated from the gear leg, the gear leg dug into the turf, and the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted, which resulted in substantial damage to the airframe and left wing. Examination of the right MLG and wheel axle revealed that the wheel had separated from the gear leg due to the fatigue failure of the axle attachment bracket.