What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The airman landed on runway 27 at kykm. On touchdown, the pilot states he experienced a noticeable tail wheel shimmy which was abnormal for that aircraft. The aircraft continued to rollout on the runway and the pilot initiated rudder and aileron input to counter the turning tail. The controls were ineffective and the aircraft turned to the left, the left wing dipped, striking the ground and damaging the left wing, bending the left strut. The tail wheel spring was missing from the tail and later found on the runway intact but not present on the aircraft. The aircraft had flown approximately 10 hours since the last annual without issue with the tail spring or the connectors. The pilot stated a thorough pre-flight was performed prior to this flight and the tail wheel spring was noted on the tail. Weather conditions were gusty with tower providing multiple wind changes prior to the landing event.
As the FAA filed it
THE AIRMAN LANDED ON RUNWAY 27 AT KYKM. ON TOUCHDOWN, THE PILOT STATES HE EXPERIENCED A NOTICEABLE TAIL WHEEL SHIMMY WHICH WAS ABNORMAL FOR THAT AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO ROLLOUT ON THE RUNWAY AND THE PILOT INITIATED RUDDER AND AILERON INPUT TO COUNTER THE TURNING TAIL. THE CONTROLS WERE INEFFECTIVE AND THE AIRCRAFT TURNED TO THE LEFT, THE LEFT WING DIPPED, STRIKING THE GROUND AND DAMAGING THE LEFT WING, BENDING THE LEFT STRUT. THE TAIL WHEEL SPRING WAS MISSING FROM THE TAIL AND LATER FOUND ON THE RUNWAY INTACT BUT NOT PRESENT ON THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT HAD FLOWN APPROXIMATELY 10 HOURS SINCE THE LAST ANNUAL WITHOUT ISSUE WITH THE TAIL SPRING OR THE CONNECTORS. THE PILOT STATED A THOROUGH PRE-FLIGHT WAS PERFORMED PRIOR TO THIS FLIGHT AND THE TAIL WHEEL SPRING WAS NOTED ON THE TAIL. WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE GUSTY WITH TOWER PROVIDING MULTIPLE WIND CHANGES PRIOR TO THE LANDING EVENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.