What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On may 15, 1999, at 1754 Alaska daylight time, a tailwheel equipped Piper PA-20 airplane, N8883C, sustained substantial damage when it departed the edge of runway 19 at the Dillingham Airport, Dillingham, Alaska. The commercial pilot and sole passenger were not injured. The airplane was being operated under 14 CFR part 91 as a personal flight by the pilot and his wife. The pilot originally intended to depart for the village of ekuk, but was returning to park after taxiing for takeoff. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan was filed. The pilot told the NTSB investigator-in-charge (iic) during a telephone interview on may 18, that during his initial taxi, the airplane did not steer correctly, but he could not determine the reason. He told the iic that he decided to return to parking. During the return taxi on runway 19, the nose of the airplane turned to the left 270 degrees, and the pilot was unable to control the turn with rudder input or braking. The tailwheel support structure, and center empennage, sustained substantial damage. The pilot told the iic that after the accident, he discovered the external rudder gust lock still installed. Reported winds at the time of the accident were 210 degrees at 7 knots. Runway 19 measures 6,404 feet long by 150 feet wide. (-23) albert ball, the pilot in command, stated that upon taxiing out, the aircraft did not feel right and he had trouble with directional control of the aircraft. The wind weather vaned the aircraft with the main wheels staying on the runway and the tail swinging out and down an embankment. The PIC stated that the aircraft sustained damage to the empennage, tail area and tail wheel assembly. The PIC stated upon getting out of the aircraft he noticed that the external rudder lock was stil installed.privacy data omitted (.4) The pilot stated that during taxi for takeoff the tailwheel equipped airplane did not steer correctly. He said that he decided to return to parking. While returning to park, the airplane turned to the left 270 degrees, substantially damaging the empennage. Postaccident inspection revealed the rudder gust lock was still installed on the tail.
As the FAA filed it
ON MAY 15, 1999, AT 1754 ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME, A TAILWHEEL EQUIPPED PIPER PA-20 AIRPLANE, N8883C, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT DEPARTED THE EDGE OF RUNWAY 19 AT THE DILLINGHAM AIRPORT, DILLINGHAM, ALASKA. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND SOLE PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 AS A PERSONAL FLIGHT BY THE PILOT AND HIS WIFE. THE PILOT ORIGINALLY INTENDED TO DEPART FOR THE VILLAGE OF EKUK, BUT WAS RETURNING TO PARK AFTER TAXIING FOR TAKEOFF. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT TOLD THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE (IIC) DURING A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW ON MAY 18, THAT DURING HIS INITIAL TAXI, THE AIRPLANE DID NOT STEER CORRECTLY, BUT HE COULD NOT DETERMINE THE REASON. HE TOLD THE IIC THAT HE DECIDED TO RETURN TO PARKING. DURING THE RETURN TAXI ON RUNWAY 19, THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE TURNED TO THE LEFT 270 DEGREES, AND THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL THE TURN WITH RUDDER INPUT OR BRAKING. THE TAILWHEEL SUPPORT STRUCTURE, AND CENTER EMPENNAGE, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PILOT TOLD THE IIC THAT AFTER THE ACCIDENT, HE DISCOVERED THE EXTERNAL RUDDER GUST LOCK STILL INSTALLED. REPORTED WINDS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WERE 210 DEGREES AT 7 KNOTS. RUNWAY 19 MEASURES 6,404 FEET LONG BY 150 FEET WIDE. (-23) ALBERT BALL, THE PILOT IN COMMAND, STATED THAT UPON TAXIING OUT, THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT FEEL RIGHT AND HE HAD TROUBLE WITH DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE WIND WEATHER VANED THE AIRCRAFT WITH THE MAIN WHEELS STAYING ON THE RUNWAY AND THE TAIL SWINGING OUT AND DOWN AN EMBANKMENT. THE PIC STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE EMPENNAGE, TAIL AREA AND TAIL WHEEL ASSEMBLY. THE PIC STATED UPON GETTING OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT HE NOTICED THAT THE EXTERNAL RUDDER LOCK WAS STIL INSTALLED.^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ (.4) THE PILOT STATED THAT DURING TAXI FOR TAKEOFF THE TAILWHEEL EQUIPPED AIRPLANE DID NOT STEER CORRECTLY. HE SAID THAT HE DECIDED TO RETURN TO PARKING. WHILE RETURNING TO PARK, THE AIRPLANE TURNED TO THE LEFT 270 DEGREES, SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGING THE EMPENNAGE. POSTACCIDENT INSPECTION REVEALED THE RUDDER GUST LOCK WAS STILL INSTALLED ON THE TAIL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N8883C · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.