What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
According to the pilot, Mr. Leithead, he was on a VFR flight in N2750K from monticello sky ranch airport (GA06) to Madison Municipal Airport (52A) on January 19, 2010. He entered a left hand pattern for rwy 14 and observed the windsock was down. His approach speed was 60 mph and touchdown speed was 45 mph near the numbers. He slowed to a taxi speed of 10 to 15 mph a thousand feet down the runway. Mr. Leithead said that before making a right turn onto the taxiway to the ramp, the nose veered right and he corrected and then nose moved sharply to the left and he corrected with brakes and full right rudder. The tail continued around toward the right and nose to the left when the main right gear collapsed. The airplane continued off the runway, the right wingtip hit the ground and the tail wheel separated at the leaf spring/bolt connection. The airplane came to rest a few feet off the runway with the nose pointing to the west. During a phone interview on January 19, Mr. Leithead said that he believed that a small gust of wind may have caused the airplane to veer. During the on-site visit, Mr. Leithead said he believed that the tail wheel spring broke, which caused the tail to veer abruptly. On site investigation showed tire marks on the runway that matched the movement of N2750K off the runway. Squiggly tire marks from what appear to be the tail wheel, show that the tail had swung around to the right, 180 degrees from the runway heading prior to leaving the runway. The right main wheel left tire marks until the right main gear collapsed; the right main gear removed some pavement. The marks are consistent with the airplane position of 180 degrees from runway heading just prior to moving off the runway. There are no scrapes in the runway where the tailwheel tire marks are; however, there are divots in the ground three feet and fifteen feet off the runway. The tail came to rest in the fifteen foot divot. The tailwheel assembly has been sent to the NTSB for further analysis. A preliminary review by their metallurgist indicates that there may be a small fatigue region in the leaf spring. Findings from a more detailed analysis will be given at a later date. There is no weather reporting at Madison Municipal Airport (52A); however, at green county regional airport (3J7) 16.3 NM to the east, the winds were out of the west at four to seven knots near the time of the accident of 12:25 EST. At athens/ben epps airport, 21.5 NM to the north northeast, winds were out of the west northwest at 11 knots 34 minutes prior to the accident and seven knots gusting to 16 knots 26 minutes after the accident. At balwin county airport, 29.2 NM to the southeast, the winds were out of the west northwest at three to five knots.
As the FAA filed it
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, MR. LEITHEAD, HE WAS ON A VFR FLIGHT IN N2750K FROM MONTICELLO SKY RANCH AIRPORT (GA06) TO MADISON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (52A) ON JANUARY 19, 2010. HE ENTERED A LEFT HAND PATTERN FOR RWY 14 AND OBSERVED THE WINDSOCK WAS DOWN. HIS APPROACH SPEED WAS 60 MPH AND TOUCHDOWN SPEED WAS 45 MPH NEAR THE NUMBERS. HE SLOWED TO A TAXI SPEED OF 10 TO 15 MPH A THOUSAND FEET DOWN THE RUNWAY. MR. LEITHEAD SAID THAT BEFORE MAKING A RIGHT TURN ONTO THE TAXIWAY TO THE RAMP, THE NOSE VEERED RIGHT AND HE CORRECTED AND THEN NOSE MOVED SHARPLY TO THE LEFT AND HE CORRECTED WITH BRAKES AND FULL RIGHT RUDDER. THE TAIL CONTINUED AROUND TOWARD THE RIGHT AND NOSE TO THE LEFT WHEN THE MAIN RIGHT GEAR COLLAPSED. THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED OFF THE RUNWAY, THE RIGHT WINGTIP HIT THE GROUND AND THE TAIL WHEEL SEPARATED AT THE LEAF SPRING/BOLT CONNECTION. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST A FEW FEET OFF THE RUNWAY WITH THE NOSE POINTING TO THE WEST. DURING A PHONE INTERVIEW ON JANUARY 19, MR. LEITHEAD SAID THAT HE BELIEVED THAT A SMALL GUST OF WIND MAY HAVE CAUSED THE AIRPLANE TO VEER. DURING THE ON-SITE VISIT, MR. LEITHEAD SAID HE BELIEVED THAT THE TAIL WHEEL SPRING BROKE, WHICH CAUSED THE TAIL TO VEER ABRUPTLY. ON SITE INVESTIGATION SHOWED TIRE MARKS ON THE RUNWAY THAT MATCHED THE MOVEMENT OF N2750K OFF THE RUNWAY. SQUIGGLY TIRE MARKS FROM WHAT APPEAR TO BE THE TAIL WHEEL, SHOW THAT THE TAIL HAD SWUNG AROUND TO THE RIGHT, 180 DEGREES FROM THE RUNWAY HEADING PRIOR TO LEAVING THE RUNWAY. THE RIGHT MAIN WHEEL LEFT TIRE MARKS UNTIL THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED; THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR REMOVED SOME PAVEMENT. THE MARKS ARE CONSISTENT WITH THE AIRPLANE POSITION OF 180 DEGREES FROM RUNWAY HEADING JUST PRIOR TO MOVING OFF THE RUNWAY. THERE ARE NO SCRAPES IN THE RUNWAY WHERE THE TAILWHEEL TIRE MARKS ARE; HOWEVER, THERE ARE DIVOTS IN THE GROUND THREE FEET AND FIFTEEN FEET OFF THE RUNWAY. THE TAIL CAME TO REST IN THE FIFTEEN FOOT DIVOT. THE TAILWHEEL ASSEMBLY HAS BEEN SENT TO THE NTSB FOR FURTHER ANALYSIS. A PRELIMINARY REVIEW BY THEIR METALLURGIST INDICATES THAT THERE MAY BE A SMALL FATIGUE REGION IN THE LEAF SPRING. FINDINGS FROM A MORE DETAILED ANALYSIS WILL BE GIVEN AT A LATER DATE. THERE IS NO WEATHER REPORTING AT MADISON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (52A); HOWEVER, AT GREEN COUNTY REGIONAL AIRPORT (3J7) 16.3 NM TO THE EAST, THE WINDS WERE OUT OF THE WEST AT FOUR TO SEVEN KNOTS NEAR THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT OF 12:25 EST. AT ATHENS/BEN EPPS AIRPORT, 21.5 NM TO THE NORTH NORTHEAST, WINDS WERE OUT OF THE WEST NORTHWEST AT 11 KNOTS 34 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT AND SEVEN KNOTS GUSTING TO 16 KNOTS 26 MINUTES AFTER THE ACCIDENT. AT BALWIN COUNTY AIRPORT, 29.2 NM TO THE SOUTHEAST, THE WINDS WERE OUT OF THE WEST NORTHWEST AT THREE TO FIVE KNOTS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.