What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) This was a student solo flight. After several takeoffs and landings, the student pilot bounced the aircraft while attempting a landing at the Fallbrook airport. After trying a late go-around aircraft veered off the east side of the runway hitting trees and coming to rest upside down. Student received minor injuries to legs. See attachment #1, statement from student pilot. Pilot's statement: on January 9, 2006 I was flying the pattern doing touch and go at Fallbrook airport. At the time the wind direction was 010 varying from 4 to 6 knots, making 36 the active runway. The following is my recollection of events supplemented by my instructors input after viewing the site of the accident on 1-10-06. At touchdown the aircraft made a small bounce, at which time I pulled the stick full back to settle the plane onto the runway. As the wheels touched the runway a gust of wind from the northeast lifted the right wing scraping the left wing on the runway, causing the left wheel to carry most of the load and turn the plane to the right. At that point I applied full left rudder, then left brake, and finally hard left brake but was still on a collision course with the airplanes tied down in the transient area. To avoid hitting the planes I applied full power to lift the plane off the ground and back towards the runway, but I could not turn fast enough to avoid the trees on the east side of the airport. After further inspection of the runway, a series of scalloped tire marks from the tail wheel showed that it had failed and was not pivoting to turn the plane back to the left.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THIS WAS A STUDENT SOLO FLIGHT. AFTER SEVERAL TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS, THE STUDENT PILOT BOUNCED THE AIRCRAFT WHILE ATTEMPTING A LANDING AT THE FALLBROOK AIRPORT. AFTER TRYING A LATE GO-AROUND AIRCRAFT VEERED OFF THE EAST SIDE OF THE RUNWAY HITTING TREES AND COMING TO REST UPSIDE DOWN. STUDENT RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES TO LEGS. SEE ATTACHMENT #1, STATEMENT FROM STUDENT PILOT. PILOT'S STATEMENT: ON JANUARY 9, 2006 I WAS FLYING THE PATTERN DOING TOUCH AND GO AT FALLBROOK AIRPORT. AT THE TIME THE WIND DIRECTION WAS 010 VARYING FROM 4 TO 6 KNOTS, MAKING 36 THE ACTIVE RUNWAY. THE FOLLOWING IS MY RECOLLECTION OF EVENTS SUPPLEMENTED BY MY INSTRUCTORS INPUT AFTER VIEWING THE SITE OF THE ACCIDENT ON 1-10-06. AT TOUCHDOWN THE AIRCRAFT MADE A SMALL BOUNCE, AT WHICH TIME I PULLED THE STICK FULL BACK TO SETTLE THE PLANE ONTO THE RUNWAY. AS THE WHEELS TOUCHED THE RUNWAY A GUST OF WIND FROM THE NORTHEAST LIFTED THE RIGHT WING SCRAPING THE LEFT WING ON THE RUNWAY, CAUSING THE LEFT WHEEL TO CARRY MOST OF THE LOAD AND TURN THE PLANE TO THE RIGHT. AT THAT POINT I APPLIED FULL LEFT RUDDER, THEN LEFT BRAKE, AND FINALLY HARD LEFT BRAKE BUT WAS STILL ON A COLLISION COURSE WITH THE AIRPLANES TIED DOWN IN THE TRANSIENT AREA. TO AVOID HITTING THE PLANES I APPLIED FULL POWER TO LIFT THE PLANE OFF THE GROUND AND BACK TOWARDS THE RUNWAY, BUT I COULD NOT TURN FAST ENOUGH TO AVOID THE TREES ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE AIRPORT. AFTER FURTHER INSPECTION OF THE RUNWAY, A SERIES OF SCALLOPED TIRE MARKS FROM THE TAIL WHEEL SHOWED THAT IT HAD FAILED AND WAS NOT PIVOTING TO TURN THE PLANE BACK TO THE LEFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.