History of Flight
On October 4, 2012, at approximately 1255 eastern daylight time, an Ercoupe 415-C, registration N93606, sustained substantial damage during a landing at Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport (PKB) in Parkersburg, West Virginia. The student pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the solo cross-country instructional flight conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The flight had departed Fairmont Municipal Airport (4G7) in Fairmont, West Virginia.
According to the student pilot, the first leg of the solo cross-country flight was uneventful until he attempted to land on runway 21 at PKB. During the flare, as the airplane began to settle, he reduced power and the airplane "dropped." It touched down on the main landing gear, then the nose landing gear, and then "hopped." The airplane then "came back down," touched down again, rolled about 50 feet, and the nose wheel separated from the nose landing gear. The airplane slid to a stop on the nose landing gear wheel fork.
Personnel Information
According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records, the student pilot was issued a student pilot certificate with a third-class medical on February 14, 2012. On April 30, 2012, the pilot received an endorsement to solo the Ercoupe 415-C, and on July 2, 2012, received an endorsement to make solo cross-country flights.
Aircraft Information
According to FAA and airplane maintenance records, the airplane was manufactured in 1946. Its most recent annual inspection was completed on March 14, 2012, at which time the airplane had accrued 1,391 total hours of operation.
Meteorological Information
The reported weather at PKB at 1253 included winds from 230 degrees at 5 knots, visibility 10 miles, few clouds at 10,000 feet, temperature 23 degrees Celsius, dew point 13 degrees Celsius, and an altimeter setting of 30.20 inches of mercury.
Airport Information
According to the Airport Facility Directory, PKB was a controlled airport with two runways oriented in a 03/21 and 10/28 configuration. Runway 21 was asphalt, grooved, and in good condition. It was 7,240 feet long and 150 feet wide. The threshold was displaced by 460 feet. The runway gradient was 0.7 percent and the runway was marked with precision markings.
Wreckage and Impact Information
Examination of the airplane by an FAA inspector revealed that both halves of the two-piece nose wheel assembly had separated from each other, and multiple fractures existed in both halves. Further examination also revealed that the firewall and fuselage had incurred substantial damage.
Tests and Research
The pilot did not report any mechanical problems prior to the landing, but he advised that due to the age of the airplane, the nose wheel assembly may have failed due to fatigue. Examination of the nose wheel assembly by the NTSB's Materials Laboratory revealed that the damage was consistent with a hard landing. Two of the three mounting holes in the outer rim were cracked, the fracture faces on the wheel rims revealed rough grainy surfaces, and the bearing inner race surface was dimpled, displaying mechanical damage, and deformation of the bearing cage, seal, and retainer. The locknuts were also ineffective and relatively old, and could be removed from the wheel bolts without the aid of tools. Only slight resistance could be felt as the bolt entered the locking portion of the locknut. The exterior surface of the locknuts was also corroded, and the locking portion of the locknuts displayed a full form thread similar to the metal threads.