What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft veered off the rwy on landing and ran into the woods. (.4) the pilot said he made a three point landing, and during the landing roll the aircraft drastically veered to the right. He said he tried to correct with power, but the aircraft impacted a brushy area veered off the right side of the runway down an embankment. Examination of the tailwheel revealed the right side tailwheel rudder spring was missing, while the left side was hanging and not connected. According to the airplane log books, the last annual inspection was completed on September 28, 1997. The airplane had accumulated over 6.5 hours since it was rebuilt in September 1997. Prior to the inspection, the last entry in the log book was dated in 1981. (-23) on September 13, 1998, at approx. 1857 local time, a Piper PA18-150, serial number 18-127, N7236K, registered to alexander rozum and robert wislocki, collided with terrain during landing at the Waterbury-Oxford Airport (oxc). The certificated private pilot and passenger were not injured. Theflight originated at oxc. The aircraft had just completed two take-off and landings (PIC) alexander rozum. Rogert t. wislocki (PIC) and his son robe robert a. wislocki (passenger) then made one take-off and crashed upon landing. The pilot said that his son was about to give his approval of a good landing when the aircraft drastically veered to the right for no apparent reason. When the aircraft was preflighted by rozum and wislocki no defects were noted and the tail wheel springs were installed. The pilot (wislocki) stated that no brakes were applied at any time during landing. The passenger (his son) flies model airplanes and has flown with his father before.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT VEERED OFF THE RWY ON LANDING AND RAN INTO THE WOODS. (.4) THE PILOT SAID HE MADE A THREE POINT LANDING, AND DURING THE LANDING ROLL THE AIRCRAFT DRASTICALLY VEERED TO THE RIGHT. HE SAID HE TRIED TO CORRECT WITH POWER, BUT THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED A BRUSHY AREA VEERED OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY DOWN AN EMBANKMENT. EXAMINATION OF THE TAILWHEEL REVEALED THE RIGHT SIDE TAILWHEEL RUDDER SPRING WAS MISSING, WHILE THE LEFT SIDE WAS HANGING AND NOT CONNECTED. ACCORDING TO THE AIRPLANE LOG BOOKS, THE LAST ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS COMPLETED ON SEPTEMBER 28, 1997. THE AIRPLANE HAD ACCUMULATED OVER 6.5 HOURS SINCE IT WAS REBUILT IN SEPTEMBER 1997. PRIOR TO THE INSPECTION, THE LAST ENTRY IN THE LOG BOOK WAS DATED IN 1981. (-23) ON SEPTEMBER 13, 1998, AT APPROX. 1857 LOCAL TIME, A PIPER PA18-150, SERIAL NUMBER 18-127, N7236K, REGISTERED TO ALEXANDER ROZUM AND ROBERT WISLOCKI, COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN DURING LANDING AT THE WATERBURY-OXFORD AIRPORT (OXC). THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THEFLIGHT ORIGINATED AT OXC. THE AIRCRAFT HAD JUST COMPLETED TWO TAKE-OFF AND LANDINGS (PIC) ALEXANDER ROZUM. ROGERT T. WISLOCKI (PIC) AND HIS SON ROBE ROBERT A. WISLOCKI (PASSENGER) THEN MADE ONE TAKE-OFF AND CRASHED UPON LANDING. THE PILOT SAID THAT HIS SON WAS ABOUT TO GIVE HIS APPROVAL OF A GOOD LANDING WHEN THE AIRCRAFT DRASTICALLY VEERED TO THE RIGHT FOR NO APPARENT REASON. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS PREFLIGHTED BY ROZUM AND WISLOCKI NO DEFECTS WERE NOTED AND THE TAIL WHEEL SPRINGS WERE INSTALLED. THE PILOT (WISLOCKI) STATED THAT NO BRAKES WERE APPLIED AT ANY TIME DURING LANDING. THE PASSENGER (HIS SON) FLIES MODEL AIRPLANES AND HAS FLOWN WITH HIS FATHER BEFORE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.