Fetterman Lanny R FIRESTAR II N598LF

Summary

On 16 August 2013 at about 22:15 local time, a Fetterman Lanny R FIRESTAR II registered N598LF, operated by Fetterman Lanny R, was involved in an accident near Numidia, Pennsylvania, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

16 August 2013 at 22:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Numidia, Pennsylvania, United States

Nearest airport

Numidia Airport (8PA0)

Coordinates

40.8661, -76.3972

Aircraft

Fetterman Lanny R FIRESTAR II

Registration

N598LF

Category

Airplane

Year built

1997

Engines

1

Operator

Fetterman Lanny R

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Numidia → Numidia

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA13LA365

Nobody was injured.

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

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full 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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.