What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
ATC reported:
N77GT made a hard landing at jerome county airport (jer) and suspected he damaged the tailwheel. The aircraft got airborne and diverted to Twin Falls (twf) for better emergency response. The aircraft landed and spun (ground looped) becoming disabled on runway 26. Weather was VFR.
I spoke with the pilot and he described the first landing in jerome as skipping (bouncing) twice and he applied power and control stick input to go around. Pilot said that he encountered wind shear during the go around and the tailwheel made contact with the runway. He continued with the go around procedure and felt through the rudder pedals that conditions were not normal. At 1500 feet AGL he selected the nearest function on his navigation system and Twin Falls (twf) was displayed. He contacted twf tower, declared an emergency and flew to twf. The tower offered him another runway, but he elected to land on runway 26 due to it's length. Pilot said he touched down softly on the main wheels and maintained directional control until tail came rest on tail wheel spring and rudder effectiveness was lost at slower speed. The aircraft then pivoted (ground looped) 270 degrees to the left. Once exiting the aircraft it was discovered that the tailwheel was broken and lying off to the left side. This combined with the wind from the left aggravated the left turning tendency when rudder effectiveness was lost.
I asked the pilot what he could have done differently to prevent this incident to which he replied he was unsure. I suggested looking more closely for visual cues of windshear and monitoring all available weather reporting sources. Also set lower boundaries for wind / crosswind component until you acquire experience in the make & model of aircraft flown.
There were no injuries to the pilot and his wife. I am closing this incident out with counseling.
As the FAA filed it
ATC REPORTED:
N77GT MADE A HARD LANDING AT JEROME COUNTY AIRPORT (JER) AND SUSPECTED HE DAMAGED THE TAILWHEEL. THE AIRCRAFT GOT AIRBORNE AND DIVERTED TO TWIN FALLS (TWF) FOR BETTER EMERGENCY RESPONSE. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED AND SPUN (GROUND LOOPED) BECOMING DISABLED ON RUNWAY 26. WEATHER WAS VFR.
I SPOKE WITH THE PILOT AND HE DESCRIBED THE FIRST LANDING IN JEROME AS SKIPPING (BOUNCING) TWICE AND HE APPLIED POWER AND CONTROL STICK INPUT TO GO AROUND. PILOT SAID THAT HE ENCOUNTERED WIND SHEAR DURING THE GO AROUND AND THE TAILWHEEL MADE CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY. HE CONTINUED WITH THE GO AROUND PROCEDURE AND FELT THROUGH THE RUDDER PEDALS THAT CONDITIONS WERE NOT NORMAL. AT 1500 FEET AGL HE SELECTED THE NEAREST FUNCTION ON HIS NAVIGATION SYSTEM AND TWIN FALLS (TWF) WAS DISPLAYED. HE CONTACTED TWF TOWER, DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND FLEW TO TWF. THE TOWER OFFERED HIM ANOTHER RUNWAY, BUT HE ELECTED TO LAND ON RUNWAY 26 DUE TO IT'S LENGTH. PILOT SAID HE TOUCHED DOWN SOFTLY ON THE MAIN WHEELS AND MAINTAINED DIRECTIONAL CONTROL UNTIL TAIL CAME REST ON TAIL WHEEL SPRING AND RUDDER EFFECTIVENESS WAS LOST AT SLOWER SPEED. THE AIRCRAFT THEN PIVOTED (GROUND LOOPED) 270 DEGREES TO THE LEFT. ONCE EXITING THE AIRCRAFT IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE TAILWHEEL WAS BROKEN AND LYING OFF TO THE LEFT SIDE. THIS COMBINED WITH THE WIND FROM THE LEFT AGGRAVATED THE LEFT TURNING TENDENCY WHEN RUDDER EFFECTIVENESS WAS LOST.
I ASKED THE PILOT WHAT HE COULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY TO PREVENT THIS INCIDENT TO WHICH HE REPLIED HE WAS UNSURE. I SUGGESTED LOOKING MORE CLOSELY FOR VISUAL CUES OF WINDSHEAR AND MONITORING ALL AVAILABLE WEATHER REPORTING SOURCES. ALSO SET LOWER BOUNDARIES FOR WIND / CROSSWIND COMPONENT UNTIL YOU ACQUIRE EXPERIENCE IN THE MAKE & MODEL OF AIRCRAFT FLOWN.
THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE PILOT AND HIS WIFE. I AM CLOSING THIS INCIDENT OUT WITH COUNSELING.
Other reports on N77GT · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.