Europa Aviation Inc EUROPA XS TRI-GEAR accident near Lakeland, Florida, June 28, 2000
On June 28, 2000 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Europa Aviation Inc EUROPA XS TRI-GEAR, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N912EA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lakeland, Florida (Lakeland Linder Regional airport). It was an instructional 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 flight instructor's inadequate supervision that resulted in the dual student performing an improper landing flare/touchdown which resulted in a hard landing and overload to the nose landing gear assembly.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 28, 2000 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Lakeland, Florida · Lakeland Linder Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Europa Aviation Inc EUROPA XS TRI-GEAR EUROPA XS, amateur-built
- Registration
- N912EA · no longer on the register · serial EA003XS
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor stated he and the student were performing touch-and-go landings, and the student was flying the airplane. The instructor further stated that during a touch-and-go landing, immediately on touchdown, a loud bang was heard and felt, and both he and the student observed a white object depart the right side of the aircraft. The instructor said he applied power, executing a go-around, and then verified that the nose gear was missing from the aircraft. The instructor said that they then proceeded to Lakeland airport to land, and while landing the nose strut appeared to give way, and the aircraft settled on its nose. A metallurgical examination of the damaged nose landing gear assembly by the National Transportation Safety Board's Materials Laboratory revealed that all fractures were typical of an overstress condition.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 13,000 hours in all; 120 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 11,000 as pilot in command; 600 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 40 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, April 9, 2000; 40 hours since
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912S (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ZPH Zephyrhills FL at 4:10 pm
- Destination: LAL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 5,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:50 pm from LAL
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.