20120627012799A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Taylorcraft BC12-D · Paulden, AZ · June 27, 2012

Date
June 27, 2012 · 08:30 local
Place
Paulden, AZ
Airport
Paulden
Phase of flight
Landing: Rollout
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N43087
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR12CA287
Reported as
Taylorcraft BC12-D
Reported engine
Continental A65
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
2,000 total35 in this make and model2 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.

On June 27, 2012 inspectors, jeffrey a miller, brian love, and sean mayercek from the scottsdale flight standards district office investigated an accident involving a 1946 BC12-D, Taylorcraft, serial number 9887, N43087 at the big springs airport, Paulden, AZ. privacy data omitted Told inspector mayercek that he was taking privacy data omitted for a flight that morning. (N43087 is a two-place aircraft, so each privacy data omitted had to be flown on individual flights) the first flight lasted approximately 20 minutes and was uneventful. On the second flight, the aircraft bounced on landing. When the aircraft touched down after the bounce it was turned to the left. Despite the application of full right rudder the aircraft continued to the left and struck the fence. He also stated that the tail-wheel tended to disconnect from the steering mechanism with strong inputs from the rudder pedal. He felt that this may have happened on the bounce and contributed to the uncontrolled nature of the turn. When asked if there were any mechanical failures which may have contributed to the accident, privacy data omitted repeated that the tail-wheel sometimes came unlocked from the steering mechanism when strong rudder inputs occurred.privacy data omitted Was then asked about the weather. He stated that the sky was clear and that the winds were calm. The weather at prescott love field (kprc) which is approximately 15 miles from AZ27 reported a visibility of 10 miles, clear skies, and that the wind was variable at 4 mph. However, privacy data omitted stated that the wind "did strange things" even when light and variable at a point on the runway which was adjacent to some buildings near runway. He felt that this phenomenon may have contributed to the accident.-right wing leading edge -right wing tip-wrinkling under the right wing lift strut-right aileron outboard hinge loose on aft wing spar attach point-left wing fabric is torn and exhibits rib and main spar damage.-left wing tip exhibits spar and rib damage-left outboard aileron hinge attach loose on aft wing spar.-left aileron is compressed against the trailing edge of wing.-propeller exhibits a propeller strike with splintering and tip damage.-the rudder exhibited major damage and was explained that this damage was caused during the removal of the aircraft from the runway.

As the FAA filed it

ON JUNE 27, 2012 INSPECTORS, JEFFREY A MILLER, BRIAN LOVE, AND SEAN MAYERCEK FROM THE SCOTTSDALE FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE INVESTIGATED AN ACCIDENT INVOLVING A 1946 BC12-D, TAYLORCRAFT, SERIAL NUMBER 9887, N43087 AT THE BIG SPRINGS AIRPORT, PAULDEN, AZ. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TOLD INSPECTOR MAYERCEK THAT HE WAS TAKING ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FOR A FLIGHT THAT MORNING. (N43087 IS A TWO-PLACE AIRCRAFT, SO EACH ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HAD TO BE FLOWN ON INDIVIDUAL FLIGHTS) THE FIRST FLIGHT LASTED APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES AND WAS UNEVENTFUL.ON THE SECOND FLIGHT, THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED ON LANDING. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN AFTER THE BOUNCE IT WAS TURNED TO THE LEFT. DESPITE THE APPLICATION OF FULL RIGHT RUDDER THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO THE LEFT AND STRUCK THE FENCE. HE ALSO STATED THAT THE TAIL-WHEEL TENDED TO DISCONNECT FROM THE STEERING MECHANISM WITH STRONG INPUTS FROM THE RUDDER PEDAL. HE FELT THAT THIS MAY HAVE HAPPENED ON THE BOUNCE AND CONTRIBUTED TO THE UNCONTROLLED NATURE OF THE TURN.WHEN ASKED IF THERE WERE ANY MECHANICAL FAILURES WHICH MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ REPEATED THAT THE TAIL-WHEEL SOMETIMES CAME UNLOCKED FROM THE STEERING MECHANISM WHEN STRONG RUDDER INPUTS OCCURRED.^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS THEN ASKED ABOUT THE WEATHER. HE STATED THAT THE SKY WAS CLEAR AND THAT THE WINDS WERE CALM. THE WEATHER AT PRESCOTT LOVE FIELD (KPRC) WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY 15 MILES FROM AZ27 REPORTED A VISIBILITY OF 10 MILES, CLEAR SKIES, AND THAT THE WIND WAS VARIABLE AT 4 MPH. HOWEVER, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT THE WIND "DID STRANGE THINGS" EVEN WHEN LIGHT AND VARIABLE AT A POINT ON THE RUNWAY WHICH WAS ADJACENT TO SOME BUILDINGS NEAR RUNWAY. HE FELT THAT THIS PHENOMENON MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT.-RIGHT WING LEADING EDGE -RIGHT WING TIP-WRINKLING UNDER THE RIGHT WING LIFT STRUT-RIGHT AILERON OUTBOARD HINGE LOOSE ON AFT WING SPAR ATTACH POINT-LEFT WING FABRIC IS TORN AND EXHIBITS RIB AND MAIN SPAR DAMAGE.-LEFT WING TIP EXHIBITS SPAR AND RIB DAMAGE-LEFT OUTBOARD AILERON HINGE ATTACH LOOSE ON AFT WING SPAR.-LEFT AILERON IS COMPRESSED AGAINST THE TRAILING EDGE OF WING.-PROPELLER EXHIBITS A PROPELLER STRIKE WITH SPLINTERING AND TIP DAMAGE.-THE RUDDER EXHIBITED MAJOR DAMAGE AND WAS EXPLAINED THAT THIS DAMAGE WAS CAUSED DURING THE REMOVAL OF THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE RUNWAY.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.