Zenair ZENITH 801
Knoxville, TN — October 18, 2019
Event Information
| Date | October 18, 2019 |
| Event Type | ACC |
| NTSB Number | GAA20CA043 |
| Event ID | 20191018X41633 |
| Location | Knoxville, TN |
| Country | USA |
| Coordinates | 35.96305, -83.87666 |
| Airport | KNOXVILLE DOWNTOWN ISLAND |
| Highest Injury | NONE |
Aircraft
| Make | Zenair |
| Model | ZENITH 801 |
| Category | AIR |
| FAR Part | 091 |
| Aircraft Damage | SUBS |
Conditions
| Light Condition | DAYL |
| Weather | VMC |
Injuries
| Fatal | 0 |
| Serious | 0 |
| Minor | 0 |
| None | 2 |
| Total Injured | 0 |
Event Location
Probable Cause
The pilot's failure to maintain a proper descent rate during the approach and his improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing.
Full Narrative
The pilot reported that, during a power-off 180° approach, he noticed he was "drifting" and would not make the intended touchdown point. He added power to correct, and then reduced the power to idle to resume the approach. On short final, the airplane encountered a "wind shift or gust" and developed a high sink rate. He applied power and lowered the nose, but the airplane landed hard.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage.
The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
The airport's automated weather observation station reported that, about 5 minutes before the accident, the wind was variable at 3 knots. The pilot landed the airplane on runway 08.
About This NTSB Record
This aviation event was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB investigates all U.S. civil aviation accidents to determine probable cause and issue safety recommendations to prevent future accidents.