20050212008069I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Amtr THORPT18 · Meriden, CT · February 12, 2005

Date: February 12, 2005 · 13:40 local
Place: Meriden, CT
Airport: Meriden Markham Municipal Airport
Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N12LT
Reported as: Amtr THORPT18
Reported engine: Lycoming O320A3B
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 153 total42 in this make and model5 in the last 90 days

N12LTRegistered now · Thorp T-18 171S/N 406 · Built 1972 Airframe modelThorp T-18 171 Engine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

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) Pilot was practicing crosswind take-offs & landings on rwy 36 at mmk. Reported winds were 310 @ 10G16KTS. On third approach, approach speed of 80-90MPH, pilot landed in 3-point attitude. Aircraft bounced, nose high. Pilot corrected with power and lowered nose slightly. Aircraft contacted ground in a nose low attitude. Wooden propeller hit runway and shattered. Pilot was unable to maintain directional control and aircraft went off the left side of the runway, avoiding all the signs and lights but striking a small post with the left wing leading edge. Pilot believes aircraft stalled during the recovery attempt due to gusty wind conditions. Small rudder surface on this model aircraft performs well at cruise flight but can make crosswind landings a challenge. Pilot had "tailwheel" endorsement and 40+ hours in this aircraft but only 5 hours in the past 4 months.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT WAS PRACTICING CROSSWIND TAKE-OFFS & LANDINGS ON RWY 36 AT MMK. REPORTED WINDS WERE 310 @ 10G16KTS. ON THIRD APPROACH, APPROACH SPEED OF 80-90MPH, PILOT LANDED IN 3-POINT ATTITUDE. AIRCRAFT BOUNCED, NOSE HIGH. PILOT CORRECTED WITH POWER AND LOWERED NOSE SLIGHTLY. AIRCRAFT CONTACTED GROUND IN A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE. WOODEN PROPELLER HIT RUNWAY AND SHATTERED. PILOT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AND AIRCRAFT WENT OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, AVOIDING ALL THE SIGNS AND LIGHTS BUT STRIKING A SMALL POST WITH THE LEFT WING LEADING EDGE. PILOT BELIEVES AIRCRAFT STALLED DURING THE RECOVERY ATTEMPT DUE TO GUSTY WIND CONDITIONS. SMALL RUDDER SURFACE ON THIS MODEL AIRCRAFT PERFORMS WELL AT CRUISE FLIGHT BUT CAN MAKE CROSSWIND LANDINGS A CHALLENGE. PILOT HAD "TAILWHEEL" ENDORSEMENT AND 40+ HOURS IN THIS AIRCRAFT BUT ONLY 5 HOURS IN THE PAST 4 MONTHS.