Kubassek David ZENITH 601 N651JL

Summary

On 22 July 2017 at about 21:00 local time, a Kubassek David ZENITH 601 registered N651JL was involved in an accident near Aiken, South Carolina, 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

22 July 2017 at 21:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Aiken, South Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

Aiken Muni (AIK)

Coordinates

33.6522, -81.6825

Aircraft

Kubassek David ZENITH 601

Registration

N651JL

Category

Airplane

Year built

2003

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hendersonville → Aiken

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA17LA258

Nobody was injured.

The failure of the nose landing gear’s (NLG) lower bearing, which resulted in the pilot’s inability to maintain directional control during landing, a runway excursion, and the NLG collapsing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The commercial pilot reported that he had recently purchased the experimental, amateur-built airplane and was returning home after completing a prepurchase inspection and an uneventful test flight. During the landing, the nose landing gear (NLG) started "shaking violently," and he responded by pulling back on the yoke, which resulted in a tail strike. The airplane subsequently veered off the runway, and the NLG collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall, the left wing's leading edge, and the NLG. Examination of the NLG revealed that its lower bearing was fractured, which likely resulted in the pilot's inability to maintain directional control.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.