19980714016649A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · WSK PZL M18B · Hingham, MT · July 14, 1998

Date
July 14, 1998 · 22:10 local
Place
Hingham, MT
Airport
Hutchinson Private
Phase of flight
Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules
Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator
RTSG
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N4326M
NTSB investigation
NTSBSEA98LA139
Reported as
WSK PZLM18B
Reported engine
WSK ASZ62IRM18
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
6,195 total102 in this make and model100 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.

Landing at base bounced. Began go around. Lost control. Rolled and crashed bell cranks broken. Aileron jammed. (-23) pilot states he bounced twice during a late evening landing and decided to go around. The airplane entered an uncommanded right roll drifting off the right side of the runway, the right wing contacted the ground initiating the accident. (.4) the pilot stated that in his landing attempt, the airplane bounced twice so he decided to go around. He stated that the aircraft then entered an uncommanded right roll, departed the airstrip to the right, and the right wing tip struck the ground. The pilot noted that the left-to-right movement of the control stick was stuck, and that he had applied great pressure on the stick to command a roll to the left. He said the control stick came unstuck and did move to the extreme left, but the aircraft did not respond and continued in its turn or roll to the right. He stated that he pulled the throttle back to idle; the aircraft began to settle to the ground while in this turning motion, went out of control and wrecked. Post-accident examination of the aircraft revealed both aileron bellcranks to be broken where they contacted the upper stops, with the right bellcrank locked in an aileron-up position. However, investigators found no evidence indicating fatigue failure when they inspected the bellcranks. The FAA investigator reported that the airplane had a total airframe time of 103 hours.

As the FAA filed it

LANDING AT BASE BOUNCED. BEGAN GO AROUND. LOST CONTROL. ROLLED AND CRASHED BELL CRANKS BROKEN. AILERON JAMMED. (-23) PILOT STATES HE BOUNCED TWICE DURING A LATE EVENING LANDING AND DECIDED TO GO AROUND. THE AIRPLANE ENTERED AN UNCOMMANDED RIGHT ROLL DRIFTING OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, THE RIGHT WING CONTACTED THE GROUND INITIATING THE ACCIDENT. (.4) THE PILOT STATED THAT IN HIS LANDING ATTEMPT, THE AIRPLANE BOUNCED TWICE SO HE DECIDED TO GO AROUND. HE STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT THEN ENTERED AN UNCOMMANDED RIGHT ROLL, DEPARTED THE AIRSTRIP TO THE RIGHT, AND THE RIGHT WING TIP STRUCK THE GROUND. THE PILOT NOTED THAT THE LEFT-TO-RIGHT MOVEMENT OF THE CONTROL STICK WAS STUCK, AND THAT HE HAD APPLIED GREAT PRESSURE ON THE STICK TO COMMAND A ROLL TO THE LEFT. HE SAID THE CONTROL STICK CAME UNSTUCK AND DID MOVE TO THE EXTREME LEFT, BUT THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT RESPOND AND CONTINUED IN ITS TURN OR ROLL TO THE RIGHT. HE STATED THAT HE PULLED THE THROTTLE BACK TO IDLE; THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO SETTLE TO THE GROUND WHILE IN THIS TURNING MOTION, WENT OUT OF CONTROL AND WRECKED. POST-ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED BOTH AILERON BELLCRANKS TO BE BROKEN WHERE THEY CONTACTED THE UPPER STOPS, WITH THE RIGHT BELLCRANK LOCKED IN AN AILERON-UP POSITION. HOWEVER, INVESTIGATORS FOUND NO EVIDENCE INDICATING FATIGUE FAILURE WHEN THEY INSPECTED THE BELLCRANKS. THE FAA INVESTIGATOR REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD A TOTAL AIRFRAME TIME OF 103 HOURS.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.