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20100611036799I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Dean George Dean/Pitts · Burlington, NC · June 11, 2010

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 11, 2010 · 19:45 local
Place
Burlington, NC
Airport
Burlington-Alamance Regional
Phase of flight
Taxi
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N306GD
Reported as
Dean George Dean/Pitts
Reported engine
Lycoming I0360 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,000 total10 in this make and model20 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.

The pilot, privacy data omitted stated "on earlier flights and taxi tests I had experienced a shimmy from the tail-wheel assembly. I lubed and verified all connections were attached properly/securly. I performed 5-6 high speed taxi tests without any shimmy issues. I flew the airplane for about 30 minutes Friday evening and landed, during the rollout I thought I felt the shimmy again but was not sure. I decided to preform additional high speed taxi testing. At around 30-40 mph the tail-wheel shimmied and broke the right side linkage between the rudder and tail-wheel. I maintained control using rudder only but as I slowed and the rudder became ineffective the plane began a very gradual turn to the left. It was in an area we have used for grass field landings so I decided to let it roll out without risking excessive braking. As I was rolling out my left wing contacted a light." Airman minnis also stated in an email "as you know a pitts is a very blind airplane and I never even saw the light. I did my best and do not think there was anything else I could have done."

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED "ON EARLIER FLIGHTS AND TAXI TESTS I HAD EXPERIENCED A SHIMMY FROM THE TAIL-WHEEL ASSEMBLY. I LUBED AND VERIFIED ALL CONNECTIONS WERE ATTACHED PROPERLY/SECURLY. I PERFORMED 5-6 HIGH SPEED TAXI TESTS WITHOUT ANY SHIMMY ISSUES. I FLEW THE AIRPLANE FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES FRIDAY EVENING AND LANDED, DURING THE ROLLOUT I THOUGHT I FELT THE SHIMMY AGAIN BUT WAS NOT SURE. I DECIDED TO PREFORM ADDITIONAL HIGH SPEED TAXI TESTING. AT AROUND 30-40 MPH THE TAIL-WHEEL SHIMMIED AND BROKE THE RIGHT SIDE LINKAGE BETWEEN THE RUDDER AND TAIL-WHEEL. I MAINTAINED CONTROL USING RUDDER ONLY BUT AS I SLOWED AND THE RUDDER BECAME INEFFECTIVE THE PLANE BEGAN A VERY GRADUAL TURN TO THE LEFT. IT WAS IN AN AREA WE HAVE USED FOR GRASS FIELD LANDINGS SO I DECIDED TO LET IT ROLL OUT WITHOUT RISKING EXCESSIVE BRAKING. AS I WAS ROLLING OUT MY LEFT WING CONTACTED A LIGHT." AIRMAN MINNIS ALSO STATED IN AN EMAIL "AS YOU KNOW A PITTS IS A VERY BLIND AIRPLANE AND I NEVER EVEN SAW THE LIGHT. I DID MY BEST AND DO NOT THINK THERE WAS ANYTHING ELSE I COULD HAVE DONE."