What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 11/23/2019 the pilot began making calls 10 miles east of the airport (kerv) and made no fewer than four position reports
Prior to reaching the airport environment. Pilot made position reports as he crossed mid-field,
Turned down wind, base and on final.
The approach was normal and stabilized. There was no turbulence or wind shear on the final approach
Course so pilot decided upon landing in a three-point configuration rather than a wheel landing. The pilot preferred three point landings when the wind is calm or there is little to no cross wind as was reported by the automatic system in this case. This was an error on pilots part and he stated he knew that the winds are unpredictable at kerv. The approach was fully stabilized until he was just about one to two feet off the runway and right at stall speed when pilot encountered an unexpected wind gust from the left which caused the plane to weather vane and was pushed right of center line. The pilot reaction
Was right rudder and left aileron and the plane stalled onto the left landing gear with a side drift and without being aligned with the center line. The shock on the left landing gear broke on
Impact. The aircraft was equipped with safety cables on the cub so the landing gear splayed causing the plane to begin a right-hand turn. Pilots immediate thought was that he would simply roll into the grass but unfortunately the tail wheel broke loose and so all directional control was lost and the ground loop ensued. The left wing touched the ground and was bent outside the struts. There was no damage to the fuselage, prop, horizontal stabilizer,
Elevators, vertical stabilizer, rudder or tail wheel. There were no injuries to the pilot or passenger.
As the FAA filed it
ON 11/23/2019 THE PILOT BEGAN MAKING CALLS 10 MILES EAST OF THE AIRPORT (KERV) AND MADE NO FEWER THAN FOUR POSITION REPORTS
PRIOR TO REACHING THE AIRPORT ENVIRONMENT. PILOT MADE POSITION REPORTS AS HE CROSSED MID-FIELD,
TURNED DOWN WIND, BASE AND ON FINAL.
THE APPROACH WAS NORMAL AND STABILIZED. THERE WAS NO TURBULENCE OR WIND SHEAR ON THE FINAL APPROACH
COURSE SO PILOT DECIDED UPON LANDING IN A THREE-POINT CONFIGURATION RATHER THAN A WHEEL LANDING. THE PILOT PREFERRED THREE POINT LANDINGS WHEN THE WIND IS CALM OR THERE IS LITTLE TO NO CROSS WIND AS WAS REPORTED BY THE AUTOMATIC SYSTEM IN THIS CASE. THIS WAS AN ERROR ON PILOTS PART AND HE STATED HE KNEW THAT THE WINDS ARE UNPREDICTABLE AT KERV. THE APPROACH WAS FULLY STABILIZED UNTIL HE WAS JUST ABOUT ONE TO TWO FEET OFF THE RUNWAY AND RIGHT AT STALL SPEED WHEN PILOT ENCOUNTERED AN UNEXPECTED WIND GUST FROM THE LEFT WHICH CAUSED THE PLANE TO WEATHER VANE AND WAS PUSHED RIGHT OF CENTER LINE. THE PILOT REACTION
WAS RIGHT RUDDER AND LEFT AILERON AND THE PLANE STALLED ONTO THE LEFT LANDING GEAR WITH A SIDE DRIFT AND WITHOUT BEING ALIGNED WITH THE CENTER LINE. THE SHOCK ON THE LEFT LANDING GEAR BROKE ON
IMPACT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS EQUIPPED WITH SAFETY CABLES ON THE CUB SO THE LANDING GEAR SPLAYED CAUSING THE PLANE TO BEGIN A RIGHT-HAND TURN. PILOTS IMMEDIATE THOUGHT WAS THAT HE WOULD SIMPLY ROLL INTO THE GRASS BUT UNFORTUNATELY THE TAIL WHEEL BROKE LOOSE AND SO ALL DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WAS LOST AND THE GROUND LOOP ENSUED. THE LEFT WING TOUCHED THE GROUND AND WAS BENT OUTSIDE THE STRUTS. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE, PROP, HORIZONTAL STABILIZER,
ELEVATORS, VERTICAL STABILIZER, RUDDER OR TAIL WHEEL. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE PILOT OR PASSENGER.
Other reports on N530AK · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.