19970531015049I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Amtr Searey · Laconia, NH · May 31, 1997

Date: May 31, 1997 · 18:00 local
Place: Laconia, NH
Airport: Laconia Municipal Airport
Phase of flight: Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N8254
Reported as: Amtr Searey
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 7,500 total35 in this make and model50 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Narrative: Mr. Livernois departed mht airport and flew to a local pond and lake where he did some practic water work with the amphibian aircraft. He then flew to lci airport and landed on the center line, approximately 1500 feet down runway 26. He allegedly did a gentle 3 point landing in calm wind conditions. For the first few seconds the aircraft tracked straight down the centerline. It then started to gradually veer to the left. The pilot was unable to correct the condition. As the aircraft approached the left edge of the runway, the aircraft suddenly rotated 90 degrees to the left and slid sideways onto the grass at the edge of the runway. No injuries, pilot was alone. Aircraft damage: minor - the right main landing gear strut failed, right main wheel assembly failed, and right wing sponson bent slightly under toward fuselage. The aircraft owner, pilot and maintenance man are working together to develop an improved tail wheel system for the aircraft.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: MR. LIVERNOIS DEPARTED MHT AIRPORT AND FLEW TO A LOCAL POND AND LAKE WHERE HE DID SOME PRACTIC WATER WORK WITH THE AMPHIBIAN AIRCRAFT. HE THEN FLEW TO LCI AIRPORT AND LANDED ON THE CENTER LINE, APPROXIMATELY 1500 FEET DOWN RUNWAY 26. HE ALLEGEDLY DID A GENTLE 3 POINT LANDING IN CALM WIND CONDITIONS. FOR THE FIRST FEW SECONDS THE AIRCRAFT TRACKED STRAIGHT DOWN THE CENTERLINE. IT THEN STARTED TO GRADUALLY VEER TO THE LEFT. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO CORRECT THE CONDITION. AS THE AIRCRAFT APPROACHED THE LEFT EDGE OF THE RUNWAY, THE AIRCRAFT SUDDENLY ROTATED 90 DEGREES TO THE LEFT AND SLID SIDEWAYS ONTO THE GRASS AT THE EDGE OF THE RUNWAY. NO INJURIES, PILOT WAS ALONE. AIRCRAFT DAMAGE: MINOR - THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR STRUT FAILED, RIGHT MAIN WHEEL ASSEMBLY FAILED, AND RIGHT WING SPONSON BENT SLIGHTLY UNDER TOWARD FUSELAGE. THE AIRCRAFT OWNER, PILOT AND MAINTENANCE MAN ARE WORKING TOGETHER TO DEVELOP AN IMPROVED TAIL WHEEL SYSTEM FOR THE AIRCRAFT.