What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The owner/student pilot recently purchased the aircraft in order to receive instruction and obtain his private pilot certificate. The owner/student pilot was conducting a VFR solo flight under 14 CFR part 91. On the second of a series of stop and go landings, the student pilot stated that the initial touchdown was normal. The student pilot explained that shortly after touchdown, the aircraft began to make a hard left turn. He countered with full right rudder application, but could not regain directional control. The aircraft departed runway 27 on the left side into the dirt. The right main landing gear collapsed, the right wingtip struck the ground, and the aircraft completed a 180 degree turn heading southeasterly. A post accident visual inspection revealed that the left main tire had a bald spot. Skid marks visible on Ramona's runway 27 are consistent with the left wheel locking up sometime after touchdown. A post accident disassembly of the landing gear revealed that one of the three bolts which secured the left main wheel halves together (two piece wheel) had sheared off at the point at which the lock nut was secured to it. Further investigation revealed that the left outer wheel half bolt hole diameters were larger than that of the inner halves. The left and right wheel halves were compared against the aircraft specification data no. A-694, dated 7/8/93. It was determined that the left wheel's part number did not match any of the authorized wheel part numbers listed. A review of the aircraft maintenance records determined that the left wheel had been replaced in 1950 due to a previous ground loop incident.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE OWNER/STUDENT PILOT RECENTLY PURCHASED THE AIRCRAFT IN ORDER TO RECEIVE INSTRUCTION AND OBTAIN HIS PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE. THE OWNER/STUDENT PILOT WAS CONDUCTING A VFR SOLO FLIGHT UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. ON THE SECOND OF A SERIES OF STOP AND GO LANDINGS, THE STUDENT PILOT STATED THAT THE INITIAL TOUCHDOWN WAS NORMAL. THE STUDENT PILOT EXPLAINED THAT SHORTLY AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO MAKE A HARD LEFT TURN. HE COUNTERED WITH FULL RIGHT RUDDER APPLICATION, BUT COULD NOT REGAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED RUNWAY 27 ON THE LEFT SIDE INTO THE DIRT. THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED, THE RIGHT WINGTIP STRUCK THE GROUND, AND THE AIRCRAFT COMPLETED A 180 DEGREE TURN HEADING SOUTHEASTERLY. A POST ACCIDENT VISUAL INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE LEFT MAIN TIRE HAD A BALD SPOT. SKID MARKS VISIBLE ON RAMONA'S RUNWAY 27 ARE CONSISTENT WITH THE LEFT WHEEL LOCKING UP SOMETIME AFTER TOUCHDOWN. A POST ACCIDENT DISASSEMBLY OF THE LANDING GEAR REVEALED THAT ONE OF THE THREE BOLTS WHICH SECURED THE LEFT MAIN WHEEL HALVES TOGETHER (TWO PIECE WHEEL) HAD SHEARED OFF AT THE POINT AT WHICH THE LOCK NUT WAS SECURED TO IT. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE LEFT OUTER WHEEL HALF BOLT HOLE DIAMETERS WERE LARGER THAN THAT OF THE INNER HALVES. THE LEFT AND RIGHT WHEEL HALVES WERE COMPARED AGAINST THE AIRCRAFT SPECIFICATION DATA NO. A-694, DATED 7/8/93. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE LEFT WHEEL'S PART NUMBER DID NOT MATCH ANY OF THE AUTHORIZED WHEEL PART NUMBERS LISTED. A REVIEW OF THE AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE RECORDS DETERMINED THAT THE LEFT WHEEL HAD BEEN REPLACED IN 1950 DUE TO A PREVIOUS GROUND LOOP INCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.