History of Flight
On July 26, 2008, at 0948 eastern daylight time, an Evektor-Aerotechnik AS SportStar Plus special light sport airplane (S-LSA), registration N925LA, was substantially damaged during landing at Dekalb-Peachtree Airport (PDK) in Atlanta, Georgia. The certificated private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the solo cross-country flight that had departed Lee Gilmore Memorial Airport (GVL) in Gainesville, Georgia at 0920. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
According to the pilot's written statement, the approach appeared normal and the airplane crossed the threshold of runway 20R with a good attitude and speed. After touchdown, the airplane bounced, then contacted the runway a second time with a more pronounced impact, triggering the emergency locator transmitter (ELT). The pilot executed a go-around followed by a normal landing on the same runway. During the final rollout, as the nose wheel contacted the runway, the airplane pulled to the right. After exiting the runway, the pilot shut down the engine and requested a tug to pull the airplane to the ramp. Post-shutdown, the pilot noticed damage to the propeller tips. Upon exiting, he observed substantial damage to the nose landing gear. In a statement to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the pilot said, "I think I forgot to flare."
Personnel Information
The 56-year-old pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and glider, issued March 2, 2008. His most recent third-class medical certificate was issued on August 27, 2007. He reported 81 total flight hours, with 44 hours in the accident make and model, and 23 hours as pilot in command. His latest biennial flight review was completed on September 7, 2007.
Aircraft Information
The accident airplane, an Evektor-Aerotechnik AS SportStar Plus (serial number 20070925), was manufactured in 2007 in the Czech Republic. It was registered with the FAA on a special airworthiness certificate for light sport operations on August 17, 2007. It was powered by a 100-horsepower Rotax 912ULS engine (serial number 5648618) equipped with a three-blade fixed-pitch Woodcomp Klassic 170/3/R propeller. The two-seat, single-engine land airplane had fixed tricycle landing gear and had accrued 253 flight hours. Maximum gross weight was 1,267 pounds; at the time of the accident, weight was 1,118 pounds.
An FAA inspector examined the airplane and confirmed control continuity to all control surfaces from the control column and rudder pedals. The most recent annual inspection was completed on March 12, 2008, at which time the airplane had 228 hours time in service. The engine had 253 total hours and 25 hours since that inspection.
Meteorological Information
At 0953, the reported weather at PDK included winds from 250 degrees at 5 knots, visibility 6 miles, clear skies, temperature 26°C, dew point 21°C, and an altimeter setting of 30.08 inches of mercury.
Airport Information
Runway 20R is 3,746 feet long and 150 feet wide, asphalt, equipped with a precision approach path indicator (PAPI) on the left side. The runway utilizes a right-hand traffic pattern and basic markings in good condition.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The nose gear strut was bent at the attachment point to the airframe, and the wheel assembly was damaged, resulting in a flat tire. The firewall was buckled, and the airplane skin under the engine was wrinkled. Propeller tips were damaged from contact with the runway while power was on the engine. Examination of the passenger compartment showed no breach in the support structure; the seat pan and shoulder harness showed no evidence of stress or fractures. The damage was confined to the area forward of the firewall and was consistent with a landing that allowed the nose wheel to impact the ground before the main landing gear. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunction prior to the accident.
Other Information
According to the mechanic who maintained the airplane, he had taken a course on maintaining and working on LSAs. He reported little trouble researching required maintenance, though he had not worked extensively on LSAs. He could obtain safety directives from the Internet but noted it is often difficult to differentiate required information from "good to know" information. He stated the manuals are "fairly easy to understand" except that they are "very sparse" and he receives "very little" technical support from the manufacturer.