# Incident 20210422006179I: Mark Merrell VANS RV-8, Saint Augustine, FL, April 22, 2021

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 22, 2021, 07:35 local time
- Place: Saint Augustine, FL
- Airport: St. Augustine
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 29.9593° N, 81.3397° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at ST AUGUSTINE (SGJ), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.9593&lon=-81.3397&mi=10
- Aircraft: N8281V, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N8281V) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Mark Merrell VANS RV-8 (registry code 056367B, https://openairdocs.org/model/mark-merrell-vans-rv-8) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Superior IO-360 series (registry code 59251, https://openairdocs.org/engine/superior-io-360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: MARK MERRELL VANS RV-8
- Reported engine: SUPERIOR IO-360 SER
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 5,460 total
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210422006179I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ON 22 APRIL, PILOT MADE AN APPROACH AND LANDED ON RUNWAY 31 AT KSGJ. THE CROSSWIND COMPONENT WAS STRONG. UPON LANDING, HE DIDN?T HAVE SUFFICIENT RUDDER AUTHORITY TO MAINTAIN A STRAIGHT TRACK DOWN THE RUNWAY. THE PLANE BEGAN TO GROUND LOOP. HE TRIED TO ARREST IT BY APPLYING THE BRAKES WHICH PITCHED THE TAIL UP, RESULTING IN THE PROP STRIKING THE GROUND. THE TAIL THEN CAME DOWN AND DAMAGED THE TAIL WHEEL BRACKET.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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