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NTSB Report

April 30, 2019 · Zenair Zenith CH 701 · N396PH

Marion, VA

Overview

Report Status
Final with probable cause
Event Type
Accident
Date
April 30, 2019
Injury Outcomes
No injuries (1 uninjured)
Location
Marion, VA
Aircraft
Zenair Zenith CH 701 (2007)
Tail Number
N396PH
Injuries
None
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
NTSB Number
WPR19TA142

The noncertificated pilot had purchased the airplane about 3 months before the accident and was flying the airplane for the second time. During landing, the airplane descended rapidly from about 15 ft above ground level (agl), landed hard, and bounced back into the air. The pilot added full power; however, as the airplane climbed through about 20 ft agl, it dropped rapidly a second time and landed hard. The right main landing gear wheel assembly separated, and the airplane veered to the right before it came to rest upright on the edge of the runway, resulting in substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot had obtained some flight training about 18 years before the accident in a different airplane make and model. He did not obtain a certificate and had not flown since then until purchasing the accident airplane. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with the pilot’s failure to maintain control during a bounced landing.

NTSB Probable Cause

The noncertificated pilot's failure to maintain control following a bounced landing and his decision to fly the airplane without proper training.

Full Narrative

On April 30, 2019, about 1850 eastern daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built Zenith CH701 airplane, N396PH, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Marion, Virginia. The noncertificated pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported that he had purchased the airplane in January with the intent of obtaining his sport pilot certificate and had flown it to his home airport. The pilot stated that, on the day of the accident, he decided to fly the airplane around the airport traffic pattern "to see how it did." The accident flight was his second flight in the airplane. While landing on runway 26, the airplane descended rapidly from about 15 ft above ground level (agl), landed hard, and bounced. The pilot applied full throttle; however, as the airplane climbed through about 20 ft agl, it dropped rapidly a second time and landed hard. The right main landing gear wheel assembly separated, and the airplane veered to the right before it came to rest upright on the edge of the runway. The fuselage and left wing were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot further reported that he began learning to fly in 2001 and accumulated about 60 total hours of flight experience. He did not complete his training, nor had he flown an airplane since that time, until he purchased the accident airplane.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time18:50 EDT
Nearest AirportMountain Empire (0nm SW)
Runway26
Runway Length5252 ft
Runway Width75 ft
Flight Plan FiledNone
Aircraft FireNo
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftZenair Zenith CH 701
Tail NumberN396PH
Aircraft CategoryAir
DamageSubstantial
Operating RulePart 91
Engines1
Engine TypeReciprocating
Engine DetailsRotax · 912 · Reciprocating · 100
Seats2

People & Injuries

Injury SummaryNo injuries (1 uninjured)
Fatal0
Serious0
Minor0
Uninjured1
Total1
Crew 1Age 91 · None · None

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightDaylight
WindCalm
Visibility10 sm
CeilingOvercast 4900 ft
Temperature / Dew Point59
Altimeter30.26 inHg
Observation Time22:53
Weather SourceWFAC

Appendix: Source Data