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20210612006399I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Burgess PITTS S-1 · Torrance · June 12, 2021

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

Date
June 12, 2021 · 18:09 local
Place
Torrance
Phase of flight
Landing: Rollout
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N333SB
Reported as
Burgess Pitts S-1
Reported engine
Lycoming O&VO-360 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours
21,300 total
N333SBRegistered now · Burgess PITTS S-1S/N 502HAirframe modelBurgess PITTS S-1Engine modelLycoming O&VO-360 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Statement from the pilot:

I went for a short flight before 6PM and was cleared to land on runway 29L. The approach and initial landing were normal. However, after touchdown the aircraft began vibrating and pulling severely to the right. It worsened as I slowed, and even with full left rudder I could not control the aircraft longitudinally. It subsequently, veered right and "ground looped" in a 270 degree pattern at approximately 15 mph. We stopped perpendicular to the runway, facing south. The tail wheel was just off the pavement. I taxied the aircraft, a short distance across the runway to taxiway foxtrot and shutdown.

I egressed the plane without injury and surveyed for any aircraft damage. I noted the right main tire was flat. The tail wheel assembly was bent, and there was slight left wingtip and left aileron fabric damage.

The toa ops personnel arrived. Toa tower had called the FAA and NTSB and I talked to them prior to us towing the aircraft back to my hanger.

Given there is no flat spot on the right tire, I believe the cause is a flat tire. There is no evidence of a locked brake or seized wheel bearing on touchdown. If this were the case, a flat spot on the tread would be evident.

The aircraft rolled easily out of the hanger prior to the flight, and the preflight inspection displayed normal tire pressure. I believe the tire began losing pressure after takeoff, as the aircraft handled normally on taxi and takeoff roll.

As the FAA filed it

STATEMENT FROM THE PILOT:

I WENT FOR A SHORT FLIGHT BEFORE 6PM AND WAS CLEARED TO LAND ON RUNWAY 29L. THE APPROACH AND INITIAL LANDING WERE NORMAL. HOWEVER, AFTER TOUCHDOWN THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN VIBRATING AND PULLING SEVERELY TO THE RIGHT. IT WORSENED AS I SLOWED, AND EVEN WITH FULL LEFT RUDDER I COULD NOT CONTROL THE AIRCRAFT LONGITUDINALLY. IT SUBSEQUENTLY, VEERED RIGHT AND "GROUND LOOPED" IN A 270 DEGREE PATTERN AT APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH. WE STOPPED PERPENDICULAR TO THE RUNWAY, FACING SOUTH. THE TAIL WHEEL WAS JUST OFF THE PAVEMENT. I TAXIED THE AIRCRAFT, A SHORT DISTANCE ACROSS THE RUNWAY TO TAXIWAY FOXTROT AND SHUTDOWN.

I EGRESSED THE PLANE WITHOUT INJURY AND SURVEYED FOR ANY AIRCRAFT DAMAGE. I NOTED THE RIGHT MAIN TIRE WAS FLAT. THE TAIL WHEEL ASSEMBLY WAS BENT, AND THERE WAS SLIGHT LEFT WINGTIP AND LEFT AILERON FABRIC DAMAGE.

THE TOA OPS PERSONNEL ARRIVED. TOA TOWER HAD CALLED THE FAA AND NTSB AND I TALKED TO THEM PRIOR TO US TOWING THE AIRCRAFT BACK TO MY HANGER.

GIVEN THERE IS NO FLAT SPOT ON THE RIGHT TIRE, I BELIEVE THE CAUSE IS A FLAT TIRE. THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF A LOCKED BRAKE OR SEIZED WHEEL BEARING ON TOUCHDOWN. IF THIS WERE THE CASE, A FLAT SPOT ON THE TREAD WOULD BE EVIDENT.

THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED EASILY OUT OF THE HANGER PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT, AND THE PREFLIGHT INSPECTION DISPLAYED NORMAL TIRE PRESSURE. I BELIEVE THE TIRE BEGAN LOSING PRESSURE AFTER TAKEOFF, AS THE AIRCRAFT HANDLED NORMALLY ON TAXI AND TAKEOFF ROLL.