What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 9/26/2012 @ approximately 1300L dst I was a participant in a telephone conference call with 3 atl FSDO operations inspectors. The purpose of the phone conference was to question the PIC and the CFI that were aboard acft N127AR when the accident occurred. According to both airmen, the primary cause of the accident was (tree rotor) in the area of the approach to runway 32. According to the aircraft accident/incident preliminary notice (FAA form 8020-9) submitted by sav ATCT the winds were out of the east north east variable 5 to 10 knots (this info from the PIC via phone). The operations inspectors did not see those types of winds being a significant factor for a 208B Cessna caravan aircraft on an approach. When I arrived at ktbr @ 1000 on Thursday 9/27/2012, I met with the airport manager who witnessed the entire landing attempted by N127AR. Immediately after briefing with the airport mgr, we went to the runway where N127AR attempted to land. It was evident that the aircraft made a hard landing primarily on the LH MLG and had enough roll momentum to tip the aircraft over to cause the LH wingtip to contact the runway and leave a scuff mark on the surface. The aircraft then veered off the runway and into the grass adjacent to the runway. This was verified by nose wheel and LH MLG tire tracks left in the dirt. A go-around was initiated and the acft struggled to gain altitude (according to the arpt mgr). The PIC came back around and successfully landed the aircraft by first contacting the RH MLG (since the LH MLG was bent out by the hand landing) and then contacting the LH MLG and then the nose gear which either had a blown tire by the initial landing or by the go-around. Nobody was really certain at which stage the nw tire blew. Since the LH wingtip contacted the runway and bent the wingtip up which also resulted in a bent wing spar making this an event with substantial damage. Based on the results of the investigation into this accident a recommendation of retesting the PIC under title 49 usc 44709 would be appropriate.
As the FAA filed it
ON 9/26/2012 @ APPROXIMATELY 1300L DST I WAS A PARTICIPANT IN A TELEPHONE CONFERENCE CALL WITH 3 ATL FSDO OPERATIONS INSPECTORS. THE PURPOSE OF THE PHONE CONFERENCE WAS TO QUESTION THE PIC AND THE CFI THAT WERE ABOARD ACFT N127AR WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. ACCORDING TO BOTH AIRMEN, THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT WAS (TREE ROTOR) IN THE AREA OF THE APPROACH TO RUNWAY 32. ACCORDING TO THE AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT/INCIDENT PRELIMINARY NOTICE (FAA FORM 8020-9) SUBMITTED BY SAV ATCT THE WINDS WERE OUT OF THE EAST NORTH EAST VARIABLE 5 TO 10 KNOTS (THIS INFO FROM THE PIC VIA PHONE). THE OPERATIONS INSPECTORS DID NOT SEE THOSE TYPES OF WINDS BEING A SIGNIFICANT FACTOR FOR A 208B CESSNA CARAVAN AIRCRAFT ON AN APPROACH. WHEN I ARRIVED AT KTBR @ 1000 ON THURSDAY 9/27/2012, I MET WITH THE AIRPORT MANAGER WHO WITNESSED THE ENTIRE LANDING ATTEMPTED BY N127AR. IMMEDIATELY AFTER BRIEFING WITH THE AIRPORT MGR, WE WENT TO THE RUNWAY WHERE N127AR ATTEMPTED TO LAND. IT WAS EVIDENT THAT THE AIRCRAFT MADE A HARD LANDING PRIMARILY ON THE LH MLG AND HAD ENOUGH ROLL MOMENTUM TO TIP THE AIRCRAFT OVER TO CAUSE THE LH WINGTIP TO CONTACT THE RUNWAY AND LEAVE A SCUFF MARK ON THE SURFACE. THE AIRCRAFT THEN VEERED OFF THE RUNWAY AND INTO THE GRASS ADJACENT TO THE RUNWAY. THIS WAS VERIFIED BY NOSE WHEEL AND LH MLG TIRE TRACKS LEFT IN THE DIRT. A GO-AROUND WAS INITIATED AND THE ACFT STRUGGLED TO GAIN ALTITUDE (ACCORDING TO THE ARPT MGR). THE PIC CAME BACK AROUND AND SUCCESSFULLY LANDED THE AIRCRAFT BY FIRST CONTACTING THE RH MLG (SINCE THE LH MLG WAS BENT OUT BY THE HAND LANDING) AND THEN CONTACTING THE LH MLG AND THEN THE NOSE GEAR WHICH EITHER HAD A BLOWN TIRE BY THE INITIAL LANDING OR BY THE GO-AROUND. NOBODY WAS REALLY CERTAIN AT WHICH STAGE THE NW TIRE BLEW. SINCE THE LH WINGTIP CONTACTED THE RUNWAY AND BENT THE WINGTIP UP WHICH ALSO RESULTED IN A BENT WING SPAR MAKING THIS AN EVENT WITH SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.BASED ON THE RESULTS OF THE INVESTIGATION INTO THIS ACCIDENT A RECOMMENDATION OF RETESTING THE PIC UNDER TITLE 49 USC 44709 WOULD BE APPROPRIATE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.