What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Returning flight to fai I obtained current ATIS, called approach for tersa tracking, was transferred to tower and received clearance to land on runway 20L.
Initial ATIS broadcast reported winds out of the southeast 8 knots, tower reported a slight shift but still similar (8-10) knots out of the southeast during entry into pattern. The pilot stated "I broke my own cardinal rule of never landing downwind" when I accepted clearance to land on 20L.
Aircraft is equipped with 31" bushwheels ie. Tundra tires which are "sticky" and better utilized on unpaved landing areas. The ski strip was closed to aircraft other than wheel/ski equipped aircraft so I caved to tower and accepted clearance on pavement. Pattern entry, base, final all normal except for short final with increased ground speed due to quartering tailwind. I performed a "tick" touchdown at beginning of runway to get the tires spinning and then settled back down uneventfully. During rollout I lost rudder authority and subsequently directional control steering, I attempted heavy brake input but was unable to arrest the tail from swinging around and the right wing touched the pavement. I taxied to parking and met authorities there.
Contributing factors in a nut shell:
-Lack of experience with tundra tires on pavement.-downwind landing in hindsight I should not have accepted clearance to land on 20L and requested ski 2 "at my own risk" and landed into the wind on a more suitable surface.
As the FAA filed it
RETURNING FLIGHT TO FAI I OBTAINED CURRENT ATIS, CALLED APPROACH FOR TERSA TRACKING, WAS TRANSFERRED TO TOWER AND RECEIVED CLEARANCE TO LAND ON RUNWAY 20L.
INITIAL ATIS BROADCAST REPORTED WINDS OUT OF THE SOUTHEAST 8 KNOTS, TOWER REPORTED A SLIGHT SHIFT BUT STILL SIMILAR (8-10) KNOTS OUT OF THE SOUTHEAST DURING ENTRY INTO PATTERN. THE PILOT STATED "I BROKE MY OWN CARDINAL RULE OF NEVER LANDING DOWNWIND" WHEN I ACCEPTED CLEARANCE TO LAND ON 20L.
AIRCRAFT IS EQUIPPED WITH 31" BUSHWHEELS IE. TUNDRA TIRES WHICH ARE "STICKY" AND BETTER UTILIZED ON UNPAVED LANDING AREAS. THE SKI STRIP WAS CLOSED TO AIRCRAFT OTHER THAN WHEEL/SKI EQUIPPED AIRCRAFT SO I CAVED TO TOWER AND ACCEPTED CLEARANCE ON PAVEMENT. PATTERN ENTRY, BASE, FINAL ALL NORMAL EXCEPT FOR SHORT FINAL WITH INCREASED GROUND SPEED DUE TO QUARTERING TAILWIND. I PERFORMED A "TICK" TOUCHDOWN AT BEGINNING OF RUNWAY TO GET THE TIRES SPINNING AND THEN SETTLED BACK DOWN UNEVENTFULLY. DURING ROLLOUT I LOST RUDDER AUTHORITY AND SUBSEQUENTLY DIRECTIONAL CONTROL STEERING, I ATTEMPTED HEAVY BRAKE INPUT BUT WAS UNABLE TO ARREST THE TAIL FROM SWINGING AROUND AND THE RIGHT WING TOUCHED THE PAVEMENT. I TAXIED TO PARKING AND MET AUTHORITIES THERE.
CONTRIBUTING FACTORS IN A NUT SHELL:
-LACK OF EXPERIENCE WITH TUNDRA TIRES ON PAVEMENT.-DOWNWIND LANDING IN HINDSIGHT I SHOULD NOT HAVE ACCEPTED CLEARANCE TO LAND ON 20L AND REQUESTED SKI 2 "AT MY OWN RISK" AND LANDED INTO THE WIND ON A MORE SUITABLE SURFACE.
Other reports on N4894A · 5
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.