What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The airman was pilot in command (PIC) and the sole occupant of the aircraft during the accident. The airman stated that he had flown this aircraft a couple of days before the accident. During this flight he accomplished approximately 11 touch and go landings. The airman noticed that on some of these landings, shortly after touchdown, the aircraft would track very hard to the left, even after full right rudder was applied. During this flight, the airman conducted landings at both the Wasilla Airport (paved surface) and the willow airport (gravel surface), with the aircraft occasionally tracking to the left at both locations. At this point, the airman became concerned, and decided to fly to the merrill field airport to put the aircraft into maintenance. The aircraft was entered into a repair shop at the merrill field airport. According to the PIC, the repair shop confirmed that the landing gear were both misaligned, causing the aircraft to track to the left. The repair shop adjusted the wheel alignment of both landing gear and returned the aircraft to service.
After the aircraft was returned to service, the airman flew the aircraft from merrill field to the Wasilla Airport. Once at the Wasilla Airport, the airman conducted two touch and go landings. Both of these landings were described as completely normal.
During the third landing, shortly after touchdown, the aircraft pulled very hard to the left. The airman attempted to conduct a go-around, but was unsuccessful. The left main landing gear was sheared off, along with the tailwheel. Both wingtips were damaged into the aileron. The left elevator was damaged at the tip. The prop struck the ground.
The weather at the Wasilla Airport at the time of the accident was VFR. The airman described the winds as light and variable, no limitations to visibility, and a dry runway in good condition.
The airman stated that he owns a Cessna 185, and that this Cessna 180 handled completely different. The airman has approximately 1158 total pilot hours, of which at least half or more is in tailwheel aircraft.
The airman appears to be very safety conscious, as he has attended safety seminars in the area, and has flown aircraft simulators at the medallion foundation. The airman also stated that in March of 2013, he traveled to las vegas to received additional tailwheel training at specific airports that consistently have strong crosswind conditions. Most admirably, the airman stated that the day after this accident occurred, he obtained additional tailwheel instruction from a certified flight instructor and obtained a bi-annual flight review, even though he was not due for one.
As the FAA filed it
THE AIRMAN WAS PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC) AND THE SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT DURING THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRMAN STATED THAT HE HAD FLOWN THIS AIRCRAFT A COUPLE OF DAYS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. DURING THIS FLIGHT HE ACCOMPLISHED APPROXIMATELY 11 TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS. THE AIRMAN NOTICED THAT ON SOME OF THESE LANDINGS, SHORTLY AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRCRAFT WOULD TRACK VERY HARD TO THE LEFT, EVEN AFTER FULL RIGHT RUDDER WAS APPLIED. DURING THIS FLIGHT, THE AIRMAN CONDUCTED LANDINGS AT BOTH THE WASILLA AIRPORT (PAVED SURFACE) AND THE WILLOW AIRPORT (GRAVEL SURFACE), WITH THE AIRCRAFT OCCASIONALLY TRACKING TO THE LEFT AT BOTH LOCATIONS. AT THIS POINT, THE AIRMAN BECAME CONCERNED, AND DECIDED TO FLY TO THE MERRILL FIELD AIRPORT TO PUT THE AIRCRAFT INTO MAINTENANCE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ENTERED INTO A REPAIR SHOP AT THE MERRILL FIELD AIRPORT. ACCORDING TO THE PIC, THE REPAIR SHOP CONFIRMED THAT THE LANDING GEAR WERE BOTH MISALIGNED, CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO TRACK TO THE LEFT. THE REPAIR SHOP ADJUSTED THE WHEEL ALIGNMENT OF BOTH LANDING GEAR AND RETURNED THE AIRCRAFT TO SERVICE.
AFTER THE AIRCRAFT WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE, THE AIRMAN FLEW THE AIRCRAFT FROM MERRILL FIELD TO THE WASILLA AIRPORT. ONCE AT THE WASILLA AIRPORT, THE AIRMAN CONDUCTED TWO TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS. BOTH OF THESE LANDINGS WERE DESCRIBED AS COMPLETELY NORMAL.
DURING THE THIRD LANDING, SHORTLY AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRCRAFT PULLED VERY HARD TO THE LEFT. THE AIRMAN ATTEMPTED TO CONDUCT A GO-AROUND, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR WAS SHEARED OFF, ALONG WITH THE TAILWHEEL. BOTH WINGTIPS WERE DAMAGED INTO THE AILERON. THE LEFT ELEVATOR WAS DAMAGED AT THE TIP. THE PROP STRUCK THE GROUND.
THE WEATHER AT THE WASILLA AIRPORT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS VFR. THE AIRMAN DESCRIBED THE WINDS AS LIGHT AND VARIABLE, NO LIMITATIONS TO VISIBILITY, AND A DRY RUNWAY IN GOOD CONDITION.
THE AIRMAN STATED THAT HE OWNS A CESSNA 185, AND THAT THIS CESSNA 180 HANDLED COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. THE AIRMAN HAS APPROXIMATELY 1158 TOTAL PILOT HOURS, OF WHICH AT LEAST HALF OR MORE IS IN TAILWHEEL AIRCRAFT.
THE AIRMAN APPEARS TO BE VERY SAFETY CONSCIOUS, AS HE HAS ATTENDED SAFETY SEMINARS IN THE AREA, AND HAS FLOWN AIRCRAFT SIMULATORS AT THE MEDALLION FOUNDATION. THE AIRMAN ALSO STATED THAT IN MARCH OF 2013, HE TRAVELED TO LAS VEGAS TO RECEIVED ADDITIONAL TAILWHEEL TRAINING AT SPECIFIC AIRPORTS THAT CONSISTENTLY HAVE STRONG CROSSWIND CONDITIONS. MOST ADMIRABLY, THE AIRMAN STATED THAT THE DAY AFTER THIS ACCIDENT OCCURRED, HE OBTAINED ADDITIONAL TAILWHEEL INSTRUCTION FROM A CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND OBTAINED A BI-ANNUAL FLIGHT REVIEW, EVEN THOUGH HE WAS NOT DUE FOR ONE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N91399 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.