What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
05/05/2020 - Aircraft had been pulling hard to left on ground operations intermittently. Owner flew the airplane to his mechanic at wolf lake. Owner asked his mechanic to inspect the rudder to see if he could diagnose the left pulling. The owner and mechanic looked in the fuselage and tested the rudder system. All appeared to be in working order. The owner had assumed the problem was with the rudder because a repair (corrosion) was done in November 2019 requiring the rudder cables to be removed.
On 05/09/2020 - the aircraft owner contacted one of his CFI?s that is also a mechanic and has experience in this make/model aircraft for a second opinion. They inspected the rudder operation, brakes, wheel roll and tire pressure all were found to be operational. They decided to taxi the aircraft to see if they could duplicate the pull to the left. After taxiing on the taxiway with no problems, they decided to do a faster taxi on the runway. At approximately 15-20 mph the aircraft pulled hard to the left. The aircraft owner attempted to add right rudder and power to correct the pull. The left main landing gear leg sheared off about 6 inches above the axle. The owner tried to keep the aircraft on the runway, it made it about 100-150? Before the left wing hit a ditch on the left side of runway. At that point the aircraft slide into the ditch, ripped the rest of the left gear leg off the aircraft at the gear box, the propeller was still spinning and struck the ground. The left wing was severely damaged, the right wing had moderate damage, the left horizontal stabilizer also sustained moderate damage.
As the FAA filed it
05/05/2020 - AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN PULLING HARD TO LEFT ON GROUND OPERATIONS INTERMITTENTLY. OWNER FLEW THE AIRPLANE TO HIS MECHANIC AT WOLF LAKE. OWNER ASKED HIS MECHANIC TO INSPECT THE RUDDER TO SEE IF HE COULD DIAGNOSE THE LEFT PULLING. THE OWNER AND MECHANIC LOOKED IN THE FUSELAGE AND TESTED THE RUDDER SYSTEM. ALL APPEARED TO BE IN WORKING ORDER. THE OWNER HAD ASSUMED THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE RUDDER BECAUSE A REPAIR (CORROSION) WAS DONE IN NOVEMBER 2019 REQUIRING THE RUDDER CABLES TO BE REMOVED.
ON 05/09/2020 - THE AIRCRAFT OWNER CONTACTED ONE OF HIS CFI?S THAT IS ALSO A MECHANIC AND HAS EXPERIENCE IN THIS MAKE/MODEL AIRCRAFT FOR A SECOND OPINION. THEY INSPECTED THE RUDDER OPERATION, BRAKES, WHEEL ROLL AND TIRE PRESSURE ALL WERE FOUND TO BE OPERATIONAL. THEY DECIDED TO TAXI THE AIRCRAFT TO SEE IF THEY COULD DUPLICATE THE PULL TO THE LEFT. AFTER TAXIING ON THE TAXIWAY WITH NO PROBLEMS, THEY DECIDED TO DO A FASTER TAXI ON THE RUNWAY. AT APPROXIMATELY 15-20 MPH THE AIRCRAFT PULLED HARD TO THE LEFT. THE AIRCRAFT OWNER ATTEMPTED TO ADD RIGHT RUDDER AND POWER TO CORRECT THE PULL. THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR LEG SHEARED OFF ABOUT 6 INCHES ABOVE THE AXLE. THE OWNER TRIED TO KEEP THE AIRCRAFT ON THE RUNWAY, IT MADE IT ABOUT 100-150? BEFORE THE LEFT WING HIT A DITCH ON THE LEFT SIDE OF RUNWAY. AT THAT POINT THE AIRCRAFT SLIDE INTO THE DITCH, RIPPED THE REST OF THE LEFT GEAR LEG OFF THE AIRCRAFT AT THE GEAR BOX, THE PROPELLER WAS STILL SPINNING AND STRUCK THE GROUND. THE LEFT WING WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED, THE RIGHT WING HAD MODERATE DAMAGE, THE LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER ALSO SUSTAINED MODERATE DAMAGE.
Other reports on N91249 · 1
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