What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Aircraft was attempting a landing on rny 18 at Sebring municipal airport; winds were light & variable. Pilot stated that all aspects of the approach and landing were normal until very shortly after the touchdown, the plane veered to the left; and the pilot's control inputs to straighten the plane failed. The rear seat passenger's statement confirmed this. The airplane skidded sideways. During the skid the right main wheel and fairing broke off at the connection to the bottom of the rt main gear strut. Subsequently, the plane rotated to the left about 180 degrees. During the skid and rotation the plane sustained substantial damage. The lower fuselage was partially caved in near the rt main strut attachment; the force caused the cabin door to pop open. The left rear fuselage was deformed in the area of the tailwheel, and the rt wing tip was dented indicating ground contact. The trailing edges of both wings were no longer flush with the top of the fuselage/cabin area. The gouges and tire marks on the runway were consistent with the description of what occurred to the airplane. The pilot had logged about 90 hours of flight time in airplanes with conventional landing gear, and he received 4 hours of dual instruction in this airplane (2 from a factory instructor) prior to the accident. privacy data omitted
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AIRCRAFT WAS ATTEMPTING A LANDING ON RNY 18 AT SEBRING MUNICIPAL AIRPORT; WINDS WERE LIGHT & VARIABLE. PILOT STATED THAT ALL ASPECTS OF THE APPROACH AND LANDING WERE NORMAL UNTIL VERY SHORTLY AFTER THE TOUCHDOWN, THE PLANE VEERED TO THE LEFT; AND THE PILOT'S CONTROL INPUTS TO STRAIGHTEN THE PLANE FAILED. THE REAR SEAT PASSENGER'S STATEMENT CONFIRMED THIS. THE AIRPLANE SKIDDED SIDEWAYS. DURING THE SKID THE RIGHT MAIN WHEEL AND FAIRING BROKE OFF AT THE CONNECTION TO THE BOTTOM OF THE RT MAIN GEAR STRUT. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE PLANE ROTATED TO THE LEFT ABOUT 180 DEGREES. DURING THE SKID AND ROTATION THE PLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE LOWER FUSELAGE WAS PARTIALLY CAVED IN NEAR THE RT MAIN STRUT ATTACHMENT; THE FORCE CAUSED THE CABIN DOOR TO POP OPEN. THE LEFT REAR FUSELAGE WAS DEFORMED IN THE AREA OF THE TAILWHEEL, AND THE RT WING TIP WAS DENTED INDICATING GROUND CONTACT. THE TRAILING EDGES OF BOTH WINGS WERE NO LONGER FLUSH WITH THE TOP OF THE FUSELAGE/CABIN AREA. THE GOUGES AND TIRE MARKS ON THE RUNWAY WERE CONSISTENT WITH THE DESCRIPTION OF WHAT OCCURRED TO THE AIRPLANE. THE PILOT HAD LOGGED ABOUT 90 HOURS OF FLIGHT TIME IN AIRPLANES WITH CONVENTIONAL LANDING GEAR, AND HE RECEIVED 4 HOURS OF DUAL INSTRUCTION IN THIS AIRPLANE (2 FROM A FACTORY INSTRUCTOR) PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.