What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot had just earlier purchased N25100 and was operating it as a sport aircraft. Pilot states that the landing on runway 21L at prc was normal and during the rollout at a slow speed the aircraft began to turn to the left. He began to apply right rudder to compensate, but the left turn increased. With full right rudder applied the aircraft then turned sharply left and began skidding sideways. Pilot states that he did not apply any breaks. The right main landing gear tubular structure bent under the load and folded inward and under the fuselage and the right wing dropped, making contact with the runway. This resulted in structural damage to the right wing, wing tip, and aileron. The aircraft was relocated to a hangar.
An examination of the aircraft revealed that there was looseness of the leaf spring where it attaches to the tail section and play in the tail wheel pivot mechanism. Unable to determine if the looseness of the tail wheel assembly caused the aircraft to lose control on the rollout, but it may have been a contributing factor. Prior to flying to Prescott, AZ, the pilot landed the aircraft in gallop, new Mexico (gup). He said that during the landing rollout in gup, he noted that the steering felt loose, but did not experience any serious control issues.
The last annual inspection on this aircraft was in November 04, 2014 and had flown 22.4 hours since the inspection.
The pilot has owned and operated 2 aircraft of the same make/model as the accident aircraft in the past and has approximately 200 hours in tail wheeled aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT HAD JUST EARLIER PURCHASED N25100 AND WAS OPERATING IT AS A SPORT AIRCRAFT. PILOT STATES THAT THE LANDING ON RUNWAY 21L AT PRC WAS NORMAL AND DURING THE ROLLOUT AT A SLOW SPEED THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO TURN TO THE LEFT. HE BEGAN TO APPLY RIGHT RUDDER TO COMPENSATE, BUT THE LEFT TURN INCREASED. WITH FULL RIGHT RUDDER APPLIED THE AIRCRAFT THEN TURNED SHARPLY LEFT AND BEGAN SKIDDING SIDEWAYS. PILOT STATES THAT HE DID NOT APPLY ANY BREAKS. THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR TUBULAR STRUCTURE BENT UNDER THE LOAD AND FOLDED INWARD AND UNDER THE FUSELAGE AND THE RIGHT WING DROPPED, MAKING CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY. THIS RESULTED IN STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING, WING TIP, AND AILERON. THE AIRCRAFT WAS RELOCATED TO A HANGAR.
AN EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THAT THERE WAS LOOSENESS OF THE LEAF SPRING WHERE IT ATTACHES TO THE TAIL SECTION AND PLAY IN THE TAIL WHEEL PIVOT MECHANISM. UNABLE TO DETERMINE IF THE LOOSENESS OF THE TAIL WHEEL ASSEMBLY CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO LOSE CONTROL ON THE ROLLOUT, BUT IT MAY HAVE BEEN A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. PRIOR TO FLYING TO PRESCOTT, AZ, THE PILOT LANDED THE AIRCRAFT IN GALLOP, NEW MEXICO (GUP). HE SAID THAT DURING THE LANDING ROLLOUT IN GUP, HE NOTED THAT THE STEERING FELT LOOSE, BUT DID NOT EXPERIENCE ANY SERIOUS CONTROL ISSUES.
THE LAST ANNUAL INSPECTION ON THIS AIRCRAFT WAS IN NOVEMBER 04, 2014 AND HAD FLOWN 22.4 HOURS SINCE THE INSPECTION.
THE PILOT HAS OWNED AND OPERATED 2 AIRCRAFT OF THE SAME MAKE/MODEL AS THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT IN THE PAST AND HAS APPROXIMATELY 200 HOURS IN TAIL WHEELED AIRCRAFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N25100 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.