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20150509006229I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Crawford Dennis E KITFOX MODEL #1 · Grants Pass, OR · May 9, 2015

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 9, 2015 · 12:00 local
Place
Grants Pass, OR
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N2138Q
Reported as
Crawford Dennis E Kitfox Model #1
Reported engine
ROTAX 532
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Flight instructor, private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
650 total2 in this make and model60 in the last 90 days
N2138QRegistered now · Crawford Dennis E KITFOX MODEL #1S/N 131 · Built 2014Airframe modelCrawford Dennis E KITFOX MODEL #1Engine modelRotax 5322 cycle

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.

Incident occurred on 5-9-15 at approx. 12:00 PDT. Pilot reported directly to the NTSB 8OO number and contacted someone in Washington DC. NTSB did not notify the FAA until 5-12-14 when the NTSB iic contacted the pdx FSDO. The FAA iic contacted the pilot and the pilot reported the following. The flight originated and returned to Grants Pass airport (3S8) the flight was the first flight for the amateur built experimental aircraft and on the landing flare the tail wheel touched down first and quite firmly. The force of the tail contacting the runway pulled the tail wheel steering spring connectors loose at the tail wheel horn and the pilot lost directional control. While attempting to gain rudder authority the pilot added power and the aircraft veered off the runway contacted a stack of wooden boards and nosed over resting on the propeller. No injuries reported and aircraft damage assessed as minor. Aircraft owner is in the process of incorporating a stiffer tail wheel spring and stronger steering control connectors in cooperation with the kit manufacture

As the FAA filed it

INCIDENT OCCURRED ON 5-9-15 AT APPROX. 12:00 PDT. PILOT REPORTED DIRECTLY TO THE NTSB 8OO NUMBER AND CONTACTED SOMEONE IN WASHINGTON DC. NTSB DID NOT NOTIFY THE FAA UNTIL 5-12-14 WHEN THE NTSB IIC CONTACTED THE PDX FSDO. THE FAA IIC CONTACTED THE PILOT AND THE PILOT REPORTED THE FOLLOWING. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AND RETURNED TO GRANTS PASS AIRPORT (3S8) THE FLIGHT WAS THE FIRST FLIGHT FOR THE AMATEUR BUILT EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT AND ON THE LANDING FLARE THE TAIL WHEEL TOUCHED DOWN FIRST AND QUITE FIRMLY. THE FORCE OF THE TAIL CONTACTING THE RUNWAY PULLED THE TAIL WHEEL STEERING SPRING CONNECTORS LOOSE AT THE TAIL WHEEL HORN AND THE PILOT LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO GAIN RUDDER AUTHORITY THE PILOT ADDED POWER AND THE AIRCRAFT VEERED OFF THE RUNWAY CONTACTED A STACK OF WOODEN BOARDS AND NOSED OVER RESTING ON THE PROPELLER. NO INJURIES REPORTED AND AIRCRAFT DAMAGE ASSESSED AS MINOR. AIRCRAFT OWNER IS IN THE PROCESS OF INCORPORATING A STIFFER TAIL WHEEL SPRING AND STRONGER STEERING CONTROL CONNECTORS IN COOPERATION WITH THE KIT MANUFACTURE