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CEN22LA020

2021-10-26 · Benton, Illinois, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport H96

Current FAA registration · N816ZH

Make / Model
ZENITH CRUZER CH 750
Year of manufacture
2018 · 3 years old at event
Engine
VIKING 130 (130 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20181018
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S AB21ED

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing and the nose landing gear collapsing.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that during landing following a local test flight of the amateur-built airplane, the airplane landed hard on the nose landing gear causing it to separate from the airplane. The airplane subsequently departed the left side of the runway and came to rest. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower fuselage, cabin floor, and aft cabin bulkhead. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot also reported the final approach was stable and was aware that the airplane’s nose tended to drop without minimal engine power at landing. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • — Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot
  • — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Landing flare-Not attained/maintained

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2021_CEN22LA020.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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