20030513011499I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Maule M7260C · Valley, NE · May 13, 2003

Date: May 13, 2003 · 16:00 local
Place: Valley, NE
Airport: Werner Airport
Phase of flight: Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N521CL
Reported as: Maule M7260C
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 900 total400 in this make and model12 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.

(-23) On may 13, 2003, mr. Werner was conducting touch and go landings. Upon completing his fourth and final landing, a gust of wind caught the aircraft and the aircraft started veering to the right. The pilot, mr. Werner, applied left rudder pressure and the aircraft did not respond. The aircraft continued veering to the right and veered off the right side of the runway. The left wheel hit a soft spot in the grass (the ground was wet due to a recent rain) and the left gear collapsed. The pilot stated that the tailwheel had vibrated at times before. After the incident, the tail was put up on a block of wood and the tailwheel was checked for unlocking position. It appeared that the tail wheel unlocked prematurely.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON MAY 13, 2003, MR. WERNER WAS CONDUCTING TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS. UPON COMPLETING HIS FOURTH AND FINAL LANDING, A GUST OF WIND CAUGHT THE AIRCRAFT AND THE AIRCRAFT STARTED VEERING TO THE RIGHT. THE PILOT, MR. WERNER, APPLIED LEFT RUDDER PRESSURE AND THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT RESPOND. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED VEERING TO THE RIGHT AND VEERED OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THE LEFT WHEEL HIT A SOFT SPOT IN THE GRASS (THE GROUND WAS WET DUE TO A RECENT RAIN) AND THE LEFT GEAR COLLAPSED. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE TAILWHEEL HAD VIBRATED AT TIMES BEFORE. AFTER THE INCIDENT, THE TAIL WAS PUT UP ON A BLOCK OF WOOD AND THE TAILWHEEL WAS CHECKED FOR UNLOCKING POSITION. IT APPEARED THAT THE TAIL WHEEL UNLOCKED PREMATURELY.