What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On 11/7/04, the pilot had completed a glider tow and was returning to the airport for another tow operation. The airplane flipped over after the landing while taxiing back to the opposite end of the runway. The pilot reported that the aircraft flipped as he was performing a "fast-taxi" with tailwheel off the ground, possibly due to a hole or rut in the turf runway. The pilot noted that the airplane did not experience any mechanical problems with the airplane. VFR conditions prevailed and winds were reportedly light or calm at the time. An FAA operations inspector who arrived at the scene about 1.5 hours after the mishap reported that he inspected the turf runway and observed no ruts or holes in the vicinity of the mishap. An FAA maintenance inspector inspected the aircraft on 11/8/04 reported finding damage to the propeller, rudder, vertical stabilizer, and wooden stringers in the upper cabin. He also reported a bent right wing strut and indications of structural (spar) damage to the right wing. Based on these findings, the ntsb-iic classified this mishap as an accident.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON 11/7/04, THE PILOT HAD COMPLETED A GLIDER TOW AND WAS RETURNING TO THE AIRPORT FOR ANOTHER TOW OPERATION. THE AIRPLANE FLIPPED OVER AFTER THE LANDING WHILE TAXIING BACK TO THE OPPOSITE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED AS HE WAS PERFORMING A "FAST-TAXI" WITH TAILWHEEL OFF THE GROUND, POSSIBLY DUE TO A HOLE OR RUT IN THE TURF RUNWAY. THE PILOT NOTED THAT THE AIRPLANE DID NOT EXPERIENCE ANY MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE AIRPLANE. VFR CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND WINDS WERE REPORTEDLY LIGHT OR CALM AT THE TIME. AN FAA OPERATIONS INSPECTOR WHO ARRIVED AT THE SCENE ABOUT 1.5 HOURS AFTER THE MISHAP REPORTED THAT HE INSPECTED THE TURF RUNWAY AND OBSERVED NO RUTS OR HOLES IN THE VICINITY OF THE MISHAP. AN FAA MAINTENANCE INSPECTOR INSPECTED THE AIRCRAFT ON 11/8/04 REPORTED FINDING DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER, RUDDER, VERTICAL STABILIZER, AND WOODEN STRINGERS IN THE UPPER CABIN. HE ALSO REPORTED A BENT RIGHT WING STRUT AND INDICATIONS OF STRUCTURAL (SPAR) DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING. BASED ON THESE FINDINGS, THE NTSB-IIC CLASSIFIED THIS MISHAP AS AN ACCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.