# Incident 20100611036799I: Dean George DEAN/PITTS, Burlington, NC, June 11, 2010

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 11, 2010, 19:45 local time
- Place: Burlington, NC
- Airport: Burlington-Alamance Regional
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Taxi
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 36.0497° N, 79.4730° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at BURLINGTON/ALAMANCE RGNL (BUY), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.0497&lon=-79.4730&mi=10
- Aircraft: N306GD (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: DEAN GEORGE DEAN/PITTS
- Reported engine: LYCOMING I0360 SER
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 1,000 total, 10 in this make and model, 20 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20100611036799I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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."

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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