Summary
On September 05, 2009, a Aeronca 11AC (N3383E) was involved in an incident near Marshall, MI. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The failure of the main landing gear attach point.
On September 5, 2009, at 1315 eastern daylight time, an Aeronca 11AC, N3383E, nosed over while landing in a grass field in Marshall, Michigan, following a failure of the right main landing gear during the previous takeoff. The pilot was not injured and the airplane received substantial damage to the right wing and rudder. The personal flight was being conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local flight.
This incident is documented in NTSB report CEN09LA567. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N3383E.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The failure of the main landing gear attach point.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
On September 5, 2009, at 1315 eastern daylight time, an Aeronca 11AC, N3383E, nosed over while landing in a grass field in Marshall, Michigan, following a failure of the right main landing gear during the previous takeoff. The pilot was not injured and the airplane received substantial damage to the right wing and rudder. The personal flight was being conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The flight originated from the Brooks Airport (RMY), Marshall, Michigan, at 1300.
The pilot reported that after liftoff he heard a "thump" and someone on the ground radioed him saying that his right landing gear looked "crooked." The pilot stated that because his aircraft battery was low he could not transmit over the radio. He decided to make an off airport landing in a field instead of trying to land at the busy airport which he just departed. The right main landing gear collapsed during the landing and the airplane nosed over.
Inspection of the airplane revealed the right main landing gear oleo strut attachment fitting failed allowing the landing gear to collapse. The last annual inspection on the airplane was dated August 7, 2000. The pilot reported that an annual inspection may have detected the failure.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CEN09LA567