What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot landed on runway 3 unaware of a quartering right tail wind estimated at 15 kt. The pilot reported that he had called the Wilcox FBO before landing and was told that the winds were light and variable, but because it was dusk he could not see the tetrahedron or the wind sock when landing. The passenger, a state fire official, stated that the pilot had called the Wilcox FBO 5 to 10 minutes out to request wind information.
The passenger reported that the aircraft impacted the runway very hard and bounced once. Pilot and passenger statement agree that the aircraft drifted to the right and the pilot corrected with differential power which resulted in an overcorrection and the aircraft departing the left side of the runway at about a 10-15 degree angle. Pilot brought left engine power up as aircraft departed the runway and witness reported that power stayed on until aircraft came to rest after traveling about 950 feet through the desert. The aircraft was arrested after the nose gear collapsed and nose was turned by the ground abruptly to the left, resulting in the fuselage bucking to the left, the right wing tip impacting the ground and both main gear strut cylinders bending.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT LANDED ON RUNWAY 3 UNAWARE OF A QUARTERING RIGHT TAIL WIND ESTIMATED AT 15 KT. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD CALLED THE WILCOX FBO BEFORE LANDING AND WAS TOLD THAT THE WINDS WERE LIGHT AND VARIABLE, BUT BECAUSE IT WAS DUSK HE COULD NOT SEE THE TETRAHEDRON OR THE WIND SOCK WHEN LANDING. THE PASSENGER, A STATE FIRE OFFICIAL, STATED THAT THE PILOT HAD CALLED THE WILCOX FBO 5 TO 10 MINUTES OUT TO REQUEST WIND INFORMATION.
THE PASSENGER REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE RUNWAY VERY HARD AND BOUNCED ONCE. PILOT AND PASSENGER STATEMENT AGREE THAT THE AIRCRAFT DRIFTED TO THE RIGHT AND THE PILOT CORRECTED WITH DIFFERENTIAL POWER WHICH RESULTED IN AN OVERCORRECTION AND THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTING THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AT ABOUT A 10-15 DEGREE ANGLE. PILOT BROUGHT LEFT ENGINE POWER UP AS AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE RUNWAY AND WITNESS REPORTED THAT POWER STAYED ON UNTIL AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST AFTER TRAVELING ABOUT 950 FEET THROUGH THE DESERT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ARRESTED AFTER THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED AND NOSE WAS TURNED BY THE GROUND ABRUPTLY TO THE LEFT, RESULTING IN THE FUSELAGE BUCKING TO THE LEFT, THE RIGHT WING TIP IMPACTING THE GROUND AND BOTH MAIN GEAR STRUT CYLINDERS BENDING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.