Evo13 LLC LANCAIR EVOLUTION incident near San Carlos, California, February 15, 2015
On February 15, 2015 at about 7:45 pm local time, a 2013 Evo13 LLC LANCAIR EVOLUTION, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N3WB, suffered minor damage in an incident during landing (landing roll) near San Carlos, California (San Carlos airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The collapse of the nose landing gear (NLG) due to the separation of the right trunnion pin from the NLG strut as a result of reverse-bending fatigue.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 15, 2015 · about 7:45 pm local time · cases in 2015
- Place
- San Carlos, California · San Carlos · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Evo13 LLC LANCAIR EVOLUTION, built 2013, amateur-built
- Registration
- N3WB · registry record · serial EVO-113
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, during the landing roll, the nose landing gear (NLG) began to shimmy, which quickly became severe. The pilot applied back pressure on the control stick to reduce the weight on the NLG; however, the NLG collapsed about 2 to 3 seconds later. The airplane then skidded on the runway for about 1,000 ft before coming to a stop upright. A postincident examination of the NLG revealed that the right trunnion pin had separated at the base of the pin where it connected to the NLG strut arm. The fracture surface had unified crack fronts, consistent with fatigue crack progression. The fatigue cracks initiated from multiple origins on opposite sides of the trunnion pin, consistent with reverse-bending fatigue. Although the reverse bending could have resulted from the exceedance of the lateral limits of the tow bar parameters during ground towing operations, it could not be determined if such an exceedance occurred before the incident. The event that precipitated the reverse bending could not be determined.
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
What happened, in order
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Nose/tail landing gear › Fatigue/wear/corrosion other cases naming the landing gear
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,532 hours in all; 108 in this make and model; 39 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 1,532 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 14, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 182.5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 21, 2014; 84 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,330 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-135A (turboprop); 182 hours total
- Operator: Wr Brody, LLC
The flight
- Departed from: SEE San Diego CA at 6:00 pm
- Destination: SQL San Carlos CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 30, 2,600 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 7:47 pm from SQL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on December 11, 2015. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Materials Laboratory Factual Report (3 Embedded Images) | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Weather Data | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Excerpt from Pilot's Operating Handbook | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Manufacturer's Authorization to Use Copyright Material | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N3WB the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N3WB on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-135A 2,218 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- San Carlos Airport · nearest airport
- Gillespie Field · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in California 9,080 since 1982 · 1,097 in the last ten years
- California 27,897 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N3WB 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR15IA105.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.