20140912024339A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Darney Robert W GLASAIR III · Pflugerville, TX · September 12, 2014

Date: September 12, 2014 · 18:13 local
Place: Pflugerville, TX
Airport: Austin Executive Airport
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N39RD
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN14LA497
Reported as: Darney Robert W Glasair III
Reported engine: Lycoming IO-540 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 2
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,977 total305 in this make and model26 in the last 90 days

N39RDRegistration cancelled Mar 23, 2018 · Darney Robert W GLASAIR IIIS/N 3073 · Built 1999 Airframe modelDarney Robert W GLASAIR III Engine modelLycoming IO-540 seriesReciprocating

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.

After touchdown, while landing at Austin Executive Airport, the nose gear of glasair N39RD, began to oscillate full travel from stop to stop. This caused the center pin to shear, allowing the lower half of the nose gear strut to rotate past the 45 degree stop. The lower strut and tire turned to an angle that allowed the sidewall of the tire to drag on the runway. The aircraft angled off the runway and when it entered the grass, it flipped inverted.

As the FAA filed it

AFTER TOUCHDOWN, WHILE LANDING AT AUSTIN EXECUTIVE AIRPORT, THE NOSE GEAR OF GLASAIR N39RD, BEGAN TO OSCILLATE FULL TRAVEL FROM STOP TO STOP. THIS CAUSED THE CENTER PIN TO SHEAR, ALLOWING THE LOWER HALF OF THE NOSE GEAR STRUT TO ROTATE PAST THE 45 DEGREE STOP. THE LOWER STRUT AND TIRE TURNED TO AN ANGLE THAT ALLOWED THE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRE TO DRAG ON THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT ANGLED OFF THE RUNWAY AND WHEN IT ENTERED THE GRASS, IT FLIPPED INVERTED.

NTSB investigation

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

NTSB CEN14LA497Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportAustin, TXThe pilot’s use of an improper attitude and airspeed during landing followed by excessive braking, which resulted in the airplane wheelbarrowing on the runway and a subsequent loss of directional control.Sep 12, 2014 · Substantial damage