Amateur-built Experimental accident near Panacea, Florida, August 30, 2002
On August 30, 2002 at about 6:30 pm local time, a amateur-built Experimental, registered N9097F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Panacea, Florida (Wakulla County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The builders inadequate weld on the nose gear u-shaped bracket, that resulted in the nose wheel strut failure, and subsequent nose over during an attempted landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 30, 2002 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Panacea, Florida · Wakulla County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Experimental
- Registration
- N9097F · registry record · serial 01
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot flew a normal approach to a rough, bumpy turf runway. The airplane touched down on the main landing gear at 60 knots, and when the nose wheel touched down, the airplane bounced three to four feet into the air. The airplane touched down on the main landing again, and when the nose settled on the runway, the airplane immediately flipped inverted. Examination of the airplane revealed the nose wheel was separated and the vertical stabilizer and rudder sustained crush damage. The pilot stated the nose wheel was found about 60 feet from the fuselage. The pilot stated the u-shaped aluminum bracket bolted to the nose wheel strut was found broken at the weld. Further examination by two welding experts revealed that the weld was "insufficient" on the shear points of the u-shaped aluminum bracket, and the weld had not completely penetrated the metal.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 165 hours in all; 43 in this make and model; 10 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 40 hours
- Maximum gross weight: 1,400 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 40J Perry FL at 5:30 pm
- Destination: 2J0 Panacea FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,785 ft by 70 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,700 ft; scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from TLH, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ATL02LA164.