What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On Tuesday, October 17th 2018, at approximately 2:00 pm local time, the pilot taxied N15AM, a Jungster I
Experimental airplane, at Payette municipal airport for a series of high-speed taxi runs. He had purchased
The airplane eleven days prior. Having no prior experience in this airframe, he wanted to take the
Opportunity to get a feel for the airplane?s handling characteristics.
He practiced taxiing around the airport for several minutes, getting used to the airplane. The winds were
Light and favoring runway 13 with an occasional left crosswind component. Preflight, taxi, and runup
Were uneventful. Taking runway 13 for each run, the pilot would add power to approximately 1400-1700 RPM
To raise the tail, reduce power slightly to maintain this airspeed (approximately 40-50 mph) for several
Seconds, then reduce power further to bring the airplane back into a three-point attitude. At the end of each run he
Would exit the runway at the midfield taxiway before returning to the approach end of runway 13.
Toward the end of the fifth run, with the tailwheel still in the air, the airplane began to yaw to the right as
He reduced power. He corrected with left rudder, but as he did so the tail began to settle. He reduced power
Further and pulled the control stick aft to pin the tailwheel to the runway. In this attitude his forward view
Was completely blocked by the cowling. He looked over the left side of the cowling and did not see the
Runway centerline, indicating that he was still on, or at least near, the centerline. As he switched his
View to the right side of the cowling he realized that his earlier rudder correction had stopped the right turn
But had been insufficient to bring the airplane back to the runway centerline, as the right edge of the
Runway was surprisingly near.
Realizing that he was in danger of departing the runway, he simultaneously closed the throttle, added more
Left rudder, and applied the brakes. At about this time, he noticed the centerline out of the corner of his eye to the left. He heard the tires skidding for a moment before the airplane departed the right side of the runway. As the main gear entered the gravel
And dug in, the airplane nosed over. It pivoted over the spinner and came to rest on the top wing and
Vertical stabilizer, facing the opposite direction from which he had come.
As the FAA filed it
ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17TH 2018, AT APPROXIMATELY 2:00 PM LOCAL TIME, THE PILOT TAXIED N15AM, A JUNGSTER I
EXPERIMENTAL AIRPLANE, AT PAYETTE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT FOR A SERIES OF HIGH-SPEED TAXI RUNS. HE HAD PURCHASED
THE AIRPLANE ELEVEN DAYS PRIOR. HAVING NO PRIOR EXPERIENCE IN THIS AIRFRAME, HE WANTED TO TAKE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO GET A FEEL FOR THE AIRPLANE?S HANDLING CHARACTERISTICS.
HE PRACTICED TAXIING AROUND THE AIRPORT FOR SEVERAL MINUTES, GETTING USED TO THE AIRPLANE. THE WINDS WERE
LIGHT AND FAVORING RUNWAY 13 WITH AN OCCASIONAL LEFT CROSSWIND COMPONENT. PREFLIGHT, TAXI, AND RUNUP
WERE UNEVENTFUL. TAKING RUNWAY 13 FOR EACH RUN, THE PILOT WOULD ADD POWER TO APPROXIMATELY 1400-1700 RPM
TO RAISE THE TAIL, REDUCE POWER SLIGHTLY TO MAINTAIN THIS AIRSPEED (APPROXIMATELY 40-50 MPH) FOR SEVERAL
SECONDS, THEN REDUCE POWER FURTHER TO BRING THE AIRPLANE BACK INTO A THREE-POINT ATTITUDE. AT THE END OF EACH RUN HE
WOULD EXIT THE RUNWAY AT THE MIDFIELD TAXIWAY BEFORE RETURNING TO THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 13.
TOWARD THE END OF THE FIFTH RUN, WITH THE TAILWHEEL STILL IN THE AIR, THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO YAW TO THE RIGHT AS
HE REDUCED POWER. HE CORRECTED WITH LEFT RUDDER, BUT AS HE DID SO THE TAIL BEGAN TO SETTLE. HE REDUCED POWER
FURTHER AND PULLED THE CONTROL STICK AFT TO PIN THE TAILWHEEL TO THE RUNWAY. IN THIS ATTITUDE HIS FORWARD VIEW
WAS COMPLETELY BLOCKED BY THE COWLING. HE LOOKED OVER THE LEFT SIDE OF THE COWLING AND DID NOT SEE THE
RUNWAY CENTERLINE, INDICATING THAT HE WAS STILL ON, OR AT LEAST NEAR, THE CENTERLINE. AS HE SWITCHED HIS
VIEW TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE COWLING HE REALIZED THAT HIS EARLIER RUDDER CORRECTION HAD STOPPED THE RIGHT TURN
BUT HAD BEEN INSUFFICIENT TO BRING THE AIRPLANE BACK TO THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE, AS THE RIGHT EDGE OF THE
RUNWAY WAS SURPRISINGLY NEAR.
REALIZING THAT HE WAS IN DANGER OF DEPARTING THE RUNWAY, HE SIMULTANEOUSLY CLOSED THE THROTTLE, ADDED MORE
LEFT RUDDER, AND APPLIED THE BRAKES. AT ABOUT THIS TIME, HE NOTICED THE CENTERLINE OUT OF THE CORNER OF HIS EYE TO THE LEFT. HE HEARD THE TIRES SKIDDING FOR A MOMENT BEFORE THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. AS THE MAIN GEAR ENTERED THE GRAVEL
AND DUG IN, THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER. IT PIVOTED OVER THE SPINNER AND CAME TO REST ON THE TOP WING AND
VERTICAL STABILIZER, FACING THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION FROM WHICH HE HAD COME.