Incident N509SX

[builderflyer]

Kathryn's report and FAA incidents report indicate a taildragger Sonex has had a hard landing resulting in bent landing gear. Happened at Redding, Calif. on March 12, 2020, a few miles from my home. It was a windy day........gusts to 30 mph or so. From the FAA records on file, it appears the pilot may have been a recent purchaser of the airplane.

Art,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Sonex taildragger #95,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Jabiru 3300 #261

[WaiexN143NM]

Hi art, all
this aircraft used to be up in gold river oregon, very nice aircraft, was for sale for awhile. todds canopy and had a corvair for power. Too bad to hear , hopefully just bent gear legs. robert barber get your press back out!
Hope everyone is well, who knows what the future holds.
Take care,

WaiexN143NM
Michael

[509sx]

Yup, that, unfortunately, was me. Thrashed both LG legs and shredded the mahogany prop. Prop-flange runout still zero, though. I had just bought this plane, and was on my way to The Dalles, where it will be based. My inexperience landing the Sonex coupled with challenging conditions 20kts gusting to 32kts threw me off my game. Got into a PIO. Should have gone around. I am headed back down to Redding in the next couple of days to replace gear legs and prop. The bird will fly again. Hate being an instant statistic!
Blue skies all,
Art

[tx_swordguy]

Good thing is you made Kathryn's without being a fatality. We all make mistakes and as long as you don't make the same mistakes you are ahead of the game. Keep your chin up and get it back in the air. Its all replaceable just too bad it happened right after purchase.
Mark

[builderflyer]

That's the irony in these "easy to fly" light sport airplanes. They are easy to fly when the winds are light but they become a real challenge when there are strong gusty winds. I live on an airpark only 9 miles from Redding Municipal and even though I've owned airplanes in the past that had much higher wing loadings than the Sonex and would have been relatively easy to fly in gusts to 32 knots.........my Sonex remained in the hangar that day.............much too exciting for me.

Art,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Sonex taildragger #95,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Jabiru 3300 #261

[509sx]

The bird has been repaired with new gear legs, fairings, and Prince prop. It is now at its new home base. The rest of the delivery flight was exciting, but went well. But wife in car almost beat me home!

Art Sonex 509 TD Corvair