20180520025059I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Experimental Experimental · Apple Valley, CA · May 20, 2018

Date: May 20, 2018 · 14:30 local
Place: Apple Valley, CA
Phase of flight: Landing: Rollout
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N985TJ
Reported as: Experimental Experimental
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1

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.

N985TJ, a pitts samson replica built by privacy data omitted, nosed over during rollout after landing touchdown at Apple Valley airport runway 18. Aircraft came to rest inverted. One person onboard with no injuries. Aircraft sustained minor damage

Pilot recalled that winds during the landing approach and rollout were less than 5 knots from 180 degrees. Pilot stated that he executed a wheel landing on the main gear. During the landing rollout he felt a shimmy which was immediately followed by the aircraft nosing over. Pilot confirmed that the tailwheel was locked and the brakes were unlocked. No tell tale signatures on runway indicating the main gear wheel brakes were applied and locked upon touchdown.

There were no eyewitnesses. A person with his back turned and approximately 500 feet west of the runway recalled that he heard a screech of tires when the aircraft touched down. When he turned to look at the aircraft it was upside down and abeam the FBO where he was standing.

As the FAA filed it

N985TJ, A PITTS SAMSON REPLICA BUILT BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, NOSED OVER DURING ROLLOUT AFTER LANDING TOUCHDOWN AT APPLE VALLEY AIRPORT RUNWAY 18. AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST INVERTED. ONE PERSON ONBOARD WITH NO INJURIES. AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE

PILOT RECALLED THAT WINDS DURING THE LANDING APPROACH AND ROLLOUT WERE LESS THAN 5 KNOTS FROM 180 DEGREES. PILOT STATED THAT HE EXECUTED A WHEEL LANDING ON THE MAIN GEAR. DURING THE LANDING ROLLOUT HE FELT A SHIMMY WHICH WAS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY THE AIRCRAFT NOSING OVER. PILOT CONFIRMED THAT THE TAILWHEEL WAS LOCKED AND THE BRAKES WERE UNLOCKED. NO TELL TALE SIGNATURES ON RUNWAY INDICATING THE MAIN GEAR WHEEL BRAKES WERE APPLIED AND LOCKED UPON TOUCHDOWN.

THERE WERE NO EYEWITNESSES. A PERSON WITH HIS BACK TURNED AND APPROXIMATELY 500 FEET WEST OF THE RUNWAY RECALLED THAT HE HEARD A SCREECH OF TIRES WHEN THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN. WHEN HE TURNED TO LOOK AT THE AIRCRAFT IT WAS UPSIDE DOWN AND ABEAM THE FBO WHERE HE WAS STANDING.