Zenair ZENITH CH 701 N396PH

Summary

On 30 April 2019 at about 22:50 local time, a Zenair ZENITH CH 701 registered N396PH was involved in an accident near Marion, Virginia, 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

30 April 2019 at 22:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Marion, Virginia, United States

Nearest airport

Mountain Empire (MKJ)

Coordinates

36.8944, -81.3506

Aircraft

Zenair ZENITH CH 701

Registration

N396PH

Category

Airplane

Year built

2007

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Marion → Marion

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR19TA142

Nobody was injured.

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

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.