What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On July 9, 2001, at 1325 eastern daylight time, a Mcdonnell Douglas DC-3, N3239T, collided with runway 27, during landing at the Titusville; Space coast regional airport in Titusville, Florida. The airplane was owned and operated by valiant air command and flown by an ATP pilot under the provisions of title 14 CFR part 91, and visual flight rules. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a instrument flight rules flight plan was filed. The pilot and co-pilot were not injured and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight had originated from pope air force base, in north carolina at 09:15 with a fuel stop in southern pines, north carolina. The flight departed southern pines at 10:15. According to the pilot in a written statement; they were returning from an air show and were on a visual approach to runway 27. The second in command was flying the airplane and the weather was VMC with winds reported by the tower of 250 degrees at 16 knots. The approach was stabilized, and upon touchdown the airplane bounced. A decision was made by the PIC to go-around. Upon application of power the airplane turned sharply left, "probably from a strong and sudden wind gust." A ccording to the tower controller the airplane bounce about three feet into the air. On the second landing the airplane veered left and it appeared that the pilot was trying to go-around. He said that the left wing came up and the airplane veered right and on the third landing the airplane was pointing about 80 degrees nose right of the runway heading. Examination of the airplane found the following damage; right main gear had separated from the airplane, the left main gear collapsed, the tailwheel had separated, the right wing tip had impacted the runway with significant scaring on the underside of the wing, and wrinkling was observed in the empennage. (-23) aircraft accomplished stabilized approach to rnwy 27 in VMC conditions per tower controllers statement. Initial runway contact experienced a bounce, continued landing process, second bounce airport veered left and went off rnwy approximately 15 feet in grass. Pilot attempted go around, aircraft veered hard right back onto rnwy but at approx 80 degree angle right of the rnwy 27 heading. Aircraft airborne and stalled 3 point attitude traveling 80 degrees to rnwy. Impact removed r/h main gear assembly and tail wheel landing gear assembly. Left main gear assembly sheared and impacted into aft section of #1 nacelle aft of wheel well. #1 and #2 propeller blade tips bent rearward. Examination of the runway marks along path traveled by aircraft indicate an apparent loss of directional control and mismanaged power application.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON JULY 9, 2001, AT 1325 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A MCDONNELL DOUGLAS DC-3, N3239T, COLLIDED WITH RUNWAY 27, DURING LANDING AT THE TITUSVILLE; SPACE COAST REGIONAL AIRPORT IN TITUSVILLE, FLORIDA. THE AIRPLANE WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY VALIANT AIR COMMAND AND FLOWN BY AN ATP PILOT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CFR PART 91, AND VISUAL FLIGHT RULES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT AND CO-PILOT WERE NOT INJURED AND THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE FLIGHT HAD ORIGINATED FROM POPE AIR FORCE BASE, IN NORTH CAROLINA AT 09:15 WITH A FUEL STOP IN SOUTHERN PINES, NORTH CAROLINA. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED SOUTHERN PINES AT 10:15. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT IN A WRITTEN STATEMENT; THEY WERE RETURNING FROM AN AIR SHOW AND WERE ON A VISUAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 27. THE SECOND IN COMMAND WAS FLYING THE AIRPLANE AND THE WEATHER WAS VMC WITH WINDS REPORTED BY THE TOWER OF 250 DEGREES AT 16 KNOTS. THE APPROACH WAS STABILIZED, AND UPON TOUCHDOWN THE AIRPLANE BOUNCED. A DECISION WAS MADE BY THE PIC TO GO-AROUND. UPON APPLICATION OF POWER THE AIRPLANE TURNED SHARPLY LEFT, "PROBABLY FROM A STRONG AND SUDDEN WIND GUST." A CCORDING TO THE TOWER CONTROLLER THE AIRPLANE BOUNCE ABOUT THREE FEET INTO THE AIR. ON THE SECOND LANDING THE AIRPLANE VEERED LEFT AND IT APPEARED THAT THE PILOT WAS TRYING TO GO-AROUND. HE SAID THAT THE LEFT WING CAME UP AND THE AIRPLANE VEERED RIGHT AND ON THE THIRD LANDING THE AIRPLANE WAS POINTING ABOUT 80 DEGREES NOSE RIGHT OF THE RUNWAY HEADING. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE FOUND THE FOLLOWING DAMAGE; RIGHT MAIN GEAR HAD SEPARATED FROM THE AIRPLANE, THE LEFT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED, THE TAILWHEEL HAD SEPARATED, THE RIGHT WING TIP HAD IMPACTED THE RUNWAY WITH SIGNIFICANT SCARING ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE WING, AND WRINKLING WAS OBSERVED IN THE EMPENNAGE. (-23) AIRCRAFT ACCOMPLISHED STABILIZED APPROACH TO RNWY 27 IN VMC CONDITIONS PER TOWER CONTROLLERS STATEMENT. INITIAL RUNWAY CONTACT EXPERIENCED A BOUNCE, CONTINUED LANDING PROCESS, SECOND BOUNCE AIRPORT VEERED LEFT AND WENT OFF RNWY APPROXIMATELY 15 FEET IN GRASS. PILOT ATTEMPTED GO AROUND, AIRCRAFT VEERED HARD RIGHT BACK ONTO RNWY BUT AT APPROX 80 DEGREE ANGLE RIGHT OF THE RNWY 27 HEADING. AIRCRAFT AIRBORNE AND STALLED 3 POINT ATTITUDE TRAVELING 80 DEGREES TO RNWY. IMPACT REMOVED R/H MAIN GEAR ASSEMBLY AND TAIL WHEEL LANDING GEAR ASSEMBLY. LEFT MAIN GEAR ASSEMBLY SHEARED AND IMPACTED INTO AFT SECTION OF #1 NACELLE AFT OF WHEEL WELL. #1 AND #2 PROPELLER BLADE TIPS BENT REARWARD. EXAMINATION OF THE RUNWAY MARKS ALONG PATH TRAVELED BY AIRCRAFT INDICATE AN APPARENT LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AND MISMANAGED POWER APPLICATION.
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 N3239T · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.