20050812019739A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Braban RV9A · Wasilla, AK · August 12, 2005

Date: August 12, 2005 · 15:00 local
Place: Wasilla, AK
Phase of flight: Landing
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N63EB
NTSB investigation: NTSBANC05LA123
Reported as: Braban RV9A
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,200 total115 in this make and model35 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) Pilot took off from new Wasilla airport to reposition aircraft a few miles away at cardwell strip (private). Upon landing and rolling approx. 90 feet to nose gear fork (which is attached horizontally from the front of the tire/wheel assembly) began slightly digging into the gravel approximately every 30 to 40 feet as if porpoising. The nose gear eventually dug in deep enough to provide sufficient leverage to cause the aircraft to flip over on its back. The aircraft suffered substantial damage and had to be cut by rescue workers to remove the slightly injured pilot.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT TOOK OFF FROM NEW WASILLA AIRPORT TO REPOSITION AIRCRAFT A FEW MILES AWAY AT CARDWELL STRIP (PRIVATE). UPON LANDING AND ROLLING APPROX. 90 FEET TO NOSE GEAR FORK (WHICH IS ATTACHED HORIZONTALLY FROM THE FRONT OF THE TIRE/WHEEL ASSEMBLY) BEGAN SLIGHTLY DIGGING INTO THE GRAVEL APPROXIMATELY EVERY 30 TO 40 FEET AS IF PORPOISING. THE NOSE GEAR EVENTUALLY DUG IN DEEP ENOUGH TO PROVIDE SUFFICIENT LEVERAGE TO CAUSE THE AIRCRAFT TO FLIP OVER ON ITS BACK. THE AIRCRAFT SUFFERED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND HAD TO BE CUT BY RESCUE WORKERS TO REMOVE THE SLIGHTLY INJURED PILOT.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ANC05LA123Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportPalmer, AKThe loss of nose gear strut/fork-to-ground clearance that led to the collapse of the nose gear strut and nose-over during the landing roll. Factors contributing to the accident were an uneven dirt/gravel surface runway.Aug 12, 2005 · Substantial damage