What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot departed harvey field (S43) snohomish, WA to Nampa Municipal Airport (kman) in Nampa, ID. Pilot stated that on departure out of S43 the aircraft seemed to lurch to the left. The pilot did not notice any anomalies during the flight to kman. Pilot stated when he arrived to kman he did not listen to the AWOS but was monitoring the local unicomm and heard another aircraft calling final for runway 29. The pilot proceeded to call downwind for runway 29 and said he landed with a quartering tailwind at approximately 1600 on 07/11/2017. The METAR for kman at 1615MDT the reported winds were 330 at 12KTS. The pilot stated that he made a normal wheel landing and as the tail wheel touched down the aircraft spun to the right and he did not have enough left rudder to compensate. The aircraft ground looped and substantially damaged the left hand wing with damage to the wing tip and forward spar and the upper wing skin is deformed just out board of the wing strut attach point indicating forward and aft spar damage. The left hand horizontal stabilizer and elevator have minor surface damage from contact with the runway surface and the left hand elevator upper skin is wrinkled just aft of the center hinge attach point indicating possible internal structural damage. The left hand main wheel assembly out board wheel half has damage on the outer exposed portion of the bead seat from contact with the runway surface.
The pilot indicated that there was binding in the rudder and tail wheel steering.
Subsequent inspection performed on 08/01/2017 by a part 65 certificated airframe and powerplant certificate found no abnormalities with the rudder or tailwheel steering.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT DEPARTED HARVEY FIELD (S43) SNOHOMISH, WA TO NAMPA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KMAN) IN NAMPA, ID. PILOT STATED THAT ON DEPARTURE OUT OF S43 THE AIRCRAFT SEEMED TO LURCH TO THE LEFT. THE PILOT DID NOT NOTICE ANY ANOMALIES DURING THE FLIGHT TO KMAN. PILOT STATED WHEN HE ARRIVED TO KMAN HE DID NOT LISTEN TO THE AWOS BUT WAS MONITORING THE LOCAL UNICOMM AND HEARD ANOTHER AIRCRAFT CALLING FINAL FOR RUNWAY 29. THE PILOT PROCEEDED TO CALL DOWNWIND FOR RUNWAY 29 AND SAID HE LANDED WITH A QUARTERING TAILWIND AT APPROXIMATELY 1600 ON 07/11/2017. THE METAR FOR KMAN AT 1615MDT THE REPORTED WINDS WERE 330 AT 12KTS. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE MADE A NORMAL WHEEL LANDING AND AS THE TAIL WHEEL TOUCHED DOWN THE AIRCRAFT SPUN TO THE RIGHT AND HE DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH LEFT RUDDER TO COMPENSATE. THE AIRCRAFT GROUND LOOPED AND SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED THE LEFT HAND WING WITH DAMAGE TO THE WING TIP AND FORWARD SPAR AND THE UPPER WING SKIN IS DEFORMED JUST OUT BOARD OF THE WING STRUT ATTACH POINT INDICATING FORWARD AND AFT SPAR DAMAGE. THE LEFT HAND HORIZONTAL STABILIZER AND ELEVATOR HAVE MINOR SURFACE DAMAGE FROM CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY SURFACE AND THE LEFT HAND ELEVATOR UPPER SKIN IS WRINKLED JUST AFT OF THE CENTER HINGE ATTACH POINT INDICATING POSSIBLE INTERNAL STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. THE LEFT HAND MAIN WHEEL ASSEMBLY OUT BOARD WHEEL HALF HAS DAMAGE ON THE OUTER EXPOSED PORTION OF THE BEAD SEAT FROM CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY SURFACE.
THE PILOT INDICATED THAT THERE WAS BINDING IN THE RUDDER AND TAIL WHEEL STEERING.
SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION PERFORMED ON 08/01/2017 BY A PART 65 CERTIFICATED AIRFRAME AND POWERPLANT CERTIFICATE FOUND NO ABNORMALITIES WITH THE RUDDER OR TAILWHEEL STEERING.
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 N185LC · 1
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