Amateur-built LONG-EZ accident near Collegedale, Tennessee, May 26, 2000
On May 26, 2000 at about 10:00 pm local time, a amateur-built LONG-EZ, registered N9JZ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Collegedale, Tennessee (Collegedale Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain the proper glide path on final approach to insure arrival at the proper runway touchdown point. A factor in the accident is the pilot's unfamiliarity with the cockpit spoiler control's location and operation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 26, 2000 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Collegedale, Tennessee · Collegedale Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built LONG-EZ
- Registration
- N9JZ · no longer on the register · serial RAF 886
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The delivery pilot flew the newly purchased airplane to the buyer's airport, and subsequently demonstrated its in-flight and landing characteristics to the buyer, seated in the rear seat. After a series of demonstrated landings and two landings conducted by the buyer from the rear seat, they conducted a full-stop landing and switched seats. The accident occurred on the buyer's first landing attempt from the front seat when he deployed the speed brake, got low on final approach, and landed short of the runway.
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: 220 hours in all; 2 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 220 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 847 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 24, 2000; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,325 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3M3 at 9:50 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 3, 4,700 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 9,000 ft; scat at 1,900 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from CHA, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.