19981206032779A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bbavia 7GCAA · Windsor, VA · December 6, 1998

Date
December 6, 1998 · 12:00 local
Place
Windsor, VA
Airport
Private
Phase of flight
Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N31253
NTSB investigation
NTSBNYC99LA034
Reported as
Bbavia 7GCAA
Reported engine
Lycoming O320A2D
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
24,538 total203 in this make and model893 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.

Glider-towing acft returned to land, the right brake locked up on landing. (.19)on December 6, 1998, about 1200 eastern standard time, a univair 7GC-AA, NB31253, was substantially damage while landing at a Private airstrip near gamer, Virginia. The certificated airline transport pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the glider tow conducted under 14 CFR part 91. The pilot stated that the purpose of the flight was to tow a glider to 3,00 feet MSL, release it , and return. Prior to the accident flight the pilot conducted two similar flight and noticed no mechanical problems with the airplane. On the accident flight, the pilot towed a glider to 3,000 feet MSL, released the glider, preformed a left spiral to lose altitude, and entered the traffic pattern via a left crosswind. The pilot then completed the downwind and base legs of the traffic pattern, before establishing the airplane on an offset final for runway 20. The pilot stated that he flew an offset final because of the tow rope and a small building on the approach end of runway. The airplane touched down on the first 1/3 of the runway and started to rollout. Wh ile the airplane was rolling out, the pilot "tapped" the brakes and felt the airplane pull to the right. The pilot then "tapped" the left brake and the airplane straightened out. When the left brake pressure was removed the airplane once again turned to the right. Because of a right crosswind, the pilot thought the right turn was the airplane trying to weathervane, so he added full left rudder, which had no effect. With full left rudder, at an airspeed of 35 mph, and the airplane turning to the right with the tail wheel off the ground, the pilot reapplied left brake. When the left brake was reapplied the airplane stopped abruptly and nosed over. The pilot stated that the runway was approximately 2,500 feet long and was orientated on a magnetic heading of 200 degrees. He added that the winds were out of the southwest at 8 to 10 knots, and that "weather was not a factor in the accident." After the accident, while the airplane was still inverted maintenance personnel had difficulty rotating the right tire by hand, but once it started to rotate, it did so freely. (.4)after releasing a glider, the pilot preformed a left spiral to lose altitude, and entered the traffic pattern. After completing the downwind and base legs of the traffic pattern, the pilot establishing the airplane on an offset final for the runway. The airplane touched down on the first 1/3 of the runway and started to rollout. During rollout, the pilot 'tapped' the brakes and felt the airplane pull to the right. The pilot then 'tapped' the left brake and the airplane straightened out, but when the left brake pressure was removed the airplane once again turned to the right. Because of a right crosswind, the pilot thought the right turn was the airplane trying to weathervane, so he added full left rudder, which had no effect. With full left rudder, the tailwheel off the ground, and approximately 35 mph of airspeed, the pilot reapplied the left brake. When the left brake was applied, the airplane stopped abruptly and nosed over. After the accident, while the airplane was still inverted maintenance personnel had difficulty rotating the right tire by hand but once it started to rotate, it did so freely. There were no mechanical failures with the right wheel assembly. (-23) during landing, the right brake locked-up. To try and prevent a ground loop, the pilot applied left brake and the aircraft flipped over on its back at low speed. The rudder, left wing tip and propeller were damaged. Possible damage to the wing strut attachment points. No injuries.

As the FAA filed it

GLIDER-TOWING ACFT RETURNED TO LAND, THE RIGHT BRAKE LOCKED UP ON LANDING. (.19)ON DECEMBER 6, 1998, ABOUT 1200 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A UNIVAIR 7GC-AA, NB31253, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGE WHILE LANDING AT A PRIVATE AIRSTRIP NEAR GAMER, VIRGINIA. THE CERTIFICATED AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE GLIDER TOW CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO TOW A GLIDER TO 3,00 FEET MSL, RELEASE IT , AND RETURN. PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT THE PILOT CONDUCTED TWO SIMILAR FLIGHT AND NOTICED NO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE AIRPLANE. ON THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT, THE PILOT TOWED A GLIDER TO 3,000 FEET MSL, RELEASED THE GLIDER, PREFORMED A LEFT SPIRAL TO LOSE ALTITUDE, AND ENTERED THE TRAFFIC PATTERN VIA A LEFT CROSSWIND. THE PILOT THEN COMPLETED THE DOWNWIND AND BASE LEGS OF THE TRAFFIC PATTERN, BEFORE ESTABLISHING THE AIRPLANE ON AN OFFSET FINAL FOR RUNWAY 20. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE FLEW AN OFFSET FINAL BECAUSE OF THE TOW ROPE AND A SMALL BUILDING ON THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN ON THE FIRST 1/3 OF THE RUNWAY AND STARTED TO ROLLOUT. WH ILE THE AIRPLANE WAS ROLLING OUT, THE PILOT "TAPPED" THE BRAKES AND FELT THE AIRPLANE PULL TO THE RIGHT. THE PILOT THEN "TAPPED" THE LEFT BRAKE AND THE AIRPLANE STRAIGHTENED OUT. WHEN THE LEFT BRAKE PRESSURE WAS REMOVED THE AIRPLANE ONCE AGAIN TURNED TO THE RIGHT. BECAUSE OF A RIGHT CROSSWIND, THE PILOT THOUGHT THE RIGHT TURN WAS THE AIRPLANE TRYING TO WEATHERVANE, SO HE ADDED FULL LEFT RUDDER, WHICH HAD NO EFFECT. WITH FULL LEFT RUDDER, AT AN AIRSPEED OF 35 MPH, AND THE AIRPLANE TURNING TO THE RIGHT WITH THE TAIL WHEEL OFF THE GROUND, THE PILOT REAPPLIED LEFT BRAKE. WHEN THE LEFT BRAKE WAS REAPPLIED THE AIRPLANE STOPPED ABRUPTLY AND NOSED OVER. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE RUNWAY WAS APPROXIMATELY 2,500 FEET LONG AND WAS ORIENTATED ON A MAGNETIC HEADING OF 200 DEGREES. HE ADDED THAT THE WINDS WERE OUT OF THE SOUTHWEST AT 8 TO 10 KNOTS, AND THAT "WEATHER WAS NOT A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT." AFTER THE ACCIDENT, WHILE THE AIRPLANE WAS STILL INVERTED MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL HAD DIFFICULTY ROTATING THE RIGHT TIRE BY HAND, BUT ONCE IT STARTED TO ROTATE, IT DID SO FREELY. (.4)AFTER RELEASING A GLIDER, THE PILOT PREFORMED A LEFT SPIRAL TO LOSE ALTITUDE, AND ENTERED THE TRAFFIC PATTERN. AFTER COMPLETING THE DOWNWIND AND BASE LEGS OF THE TRAFFIC PATTERN, THE PILOT ESTABLISHING THE AIRPLANE ON AN OFFSET FINAL FOR THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN ON THE FIRST 1/3 OF THE RUNWAY AND STARTED TO ROLLOUT. DURING ROLLOUT, THE PILOT 'TAPPED' THE BRAKES AND FELT THE AIRPLANE PULL TO THE RIGHT. THE PILOT THEN 'TAPPED' THE LEFT BRAKE AND THE AIRPLANE STRAIGHTENED OUT, BUT WHEN THE LEFT BRAKE PRESSURE WAS REMOVED THE AIRPLANE ONCE AGAIN TURNED TO THE RIGHT. BECAUSE OF A RIGHT CROSSWIND, THE PILOT THOUGHT THE RIGHT TURN WAS THE AIRPLANE TRYING TO WEATHERVANE, SO HE ADDED FULL LEFT RUDDER, WHICH HAD NO EFFECT. WITH FULL LEFT RUDDER, THE TAILWHEEL OFF THE GROUND, AND APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH OF AIRSPEED, THE PILOT REAPPLIED THE LEFT BRAKE. WHEN THE LEFT BRAKE WAS APPLIED, THE AIRPLANE STOPPED ABRUPTLY AND NOSED OVER. AFTER THE ACCIDENT, WHILE THE AIRPLANE WAS STILL INVERTED MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL HAD DIFFICULTY ROTATING THE RIGHT TIRE BY HAND BUT ONCE IT STARTED TO ROTATE, IT DID SO FREELY. THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL FAILURES WITH THE RIGHT WHEEL ASSEMBLY. (-23) DURING LANDING, THE RIGHT BRAKE LOCKED-UP. TO TRY AND PREVENT A GROUND LOOP, THE PILOT APPLIED LEFT BRAKE AND THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED OVER ON ITS BACK AT LOW SPEED. THE RUDDER, LEFT WING TIP AND PROPELLER WERE DAMAGED. POSSIBLE DAMAGE TO THE WING STRUT ATTACHMENT POINTS. NO INJURIES.

NTSB investigation

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