20150620008819I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Gale R Walton KITFOX IV-1200 · Stoneville, NC · June 20, 2015

Date
June 20, 2015 · 13:49 local
Place
Stoneville, NC
Airport
Shiloh
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N1419W
Reported as
Gale R Walton Kitfox IV-1200
Reported engine
Amateur-built UNKNOWN ENG
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Sport pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
199 total63 in this make and model10 in the last 90 days

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.

The following statement was provided by the pilot:

The following incident occurred on June 20, 2015 at about 1:30PM. I had completed three full stop landings on the grass strip paralleling runway 31 at ksif Shiloh Airport. This grass strip is between the paved runway 31 and the parallel taxiway. The last AWOS report I recall was indicating 8MPH wind varying from 200 to 270 degrees. There were periods of calm interspersed with wind gusts from various directions. After taking off on 31, I remained in the pattern for a fourth landing. I proceeded onto the left downwind for 31 and observed the windsock to be indicating a direct crosswind from the southwest. At that time I was maintaining an approximately 15 degree crab angle to remain parallel to the runway. Upon turning onto final approach I encountered moderate turbulence when crossing the tree-line at the airport property. I was lined up with the grass strip and the airspeed indicator read 45 mph as I crossed over the taxiway. I was just about to initiate the landing flare when a strong gust from my left rear tipped the plane strongly to the right and I felt a higher than normal sink rate. As I added left aileron and opened the throttle to correct, the right wheel and right wing-tip contacted the ground. The aircraft bounced to the left and the left wheel contacted the ground and the left landing gear bungee cord failed. The left wingtip then contacted the turf, the aircraft nosed-over and slid about 10 feet, coming to rest on the ground with the nose on the ground and the tail in the air. The propeller contacted the ground and one blade was cracked but not separated from the hub. The engine stopped immediately upon propeller contact with the ground. I immediately turned off all switches and closed the fuel valve. There was no evidence of a fuel or oil leak. I was able to exit the aircraft with no difficulty. The only injury to myself was a scrape on the outside of my right knee.

As the FAA filed it

THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT WAS PROVIDED BY THE PILOT:

THE FOLLOWING INCIDENT OCCURRED ON JUNE 20, 2015 AT ABOUT 1:30PM. I HAD COMPLETED THREE FULL STOP LANDINGS ON THE GRASS STRIP PARALLELING RUNWAY 31 AT KSIF SHILOH AIRPORT. THIS GRASS STRIP IS BETWEEN THE PAVED RUNWAY 31 AND THE PARALLEL TAXIWAY. THE LAST AWOS REPORT I RECALL WAS INDICATING 8MPH WIND VARYING FROM 200 TO 270 DEGREES. THERE WERE PERIODS OF CALM INTERSPERSED WITH WIND GUSTS FROM VARIOUS DIRECTIONS. AFTER TAKING OFF ON 31, I REMAINED IN THE PATTERN FOR A FOURTH LANDING. I PROCEEDED ONTO THE LEFT DOWNWIND FOR 31 AND OBSERVED THE WINDSOCK TO BE INDICATING A DIRECT CROSSWIND FROM THE SOUTHWEST. AT THAT TIME I WAS MAINTAINING AN APPROXIMATELY 15 DEGREE CRAB ANGLE TO REMAIN PARALLEL TO THE RUNWAY. UPON TURNING ONTO FINAL APPROACH I ENCOUNTERED MODERATE TURBULENCE WHEN CROSSING THE TREE-LINE AT THE AIRPORT PROPERTY. I WAS LINED UP WITH THE GRASS STRIP AND THE AIRSPEED INDICATOR READ 45 MPH AS I CROSSED OVER THE TAXIWAY. I WAS JUST ABOUT TO INITIATE THE LANDING FLARE WHEN A STRONG GUST FROM MY LEFT REAR TIPPED THE PLANE STRONGLY TO THE RIGHT AND I FELT A HIGHER THAN NORMAL SINK RATE. AS I ADDED LEFT AILERON AND OPENED THE THROTTLE TO CORRECT, THE RIGHT WHEEL AND RIGHT WING-TIP CONTACTED THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED TO THE LEFT AND THE LEFT WHEEL CONTACTED THE GROUND AND THE LEFT LANDING GEAR BUNGEE CORD FAILED. THE LEFT WINGTIP THEN CONTACTED THE TURF, THE AIRCRAFT NOSED-OVER AND SLID ABOUT 10 FEET, COMING TO REST ON THE GROUND WITH THE NOSE ON THE GROUND AND THE TAIL IN THE AIR. THE PROPELLER CONTACTED THE GROUND AND ONE BLADE WAS CRACKED BUT NOT SEPARATED FROM THE HUB. THE ENGINE STOPPED IMMEDIATELY UPON PROPELLER CONTACT WITH THE GROUND. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF ALL SWITCHES AND CLOSED THE FUEL VALVE. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF A FUEL OR OIL LEAK. I WAS ABLE TO EXIT THE AIRCRAFT WITH NO DIFFICULTY. THE ONLY INJURY TO MYSELF WAS A SCRAPE ON THE OUTSIDE OF MY RIGHT KNEE.