20220622010929A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Robert Fitts Fitts CUB · Hillsboro, OR · June 22, 2022

Date: June 22, 2022 · 17:30 local
Place: Hillsboro, OR
Airport: Twin Oaks Airpark
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N8576F
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR22LA224
Reported as: Robert Fitts Fitts CUB
Reported engine: Lycoming IO-360-B1B
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,900 total93 in this make and model24 in the last 90 days

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.

At approximately 1730PDT on 06/22/2022 an experimental amateur built aircraft, a Robert Fitts, Fitts Cub, privacy data omitted was landing at stark?s Twin Oaks Airpark (7S3) on runway 02. Upon touchdown, the aircraft experienced a strong gust of wind from the west on the left side of the aircraft. The left main touched the runway first causing the aircraft to veer to the left. Due to the crosswind the pilot was already applying full rudder and aileron inputs to compensate for the crosswind but the airplane became uncontrollable. The pilot put the right hand main wheel on the runway but the airplane continued to veer to the left which side loaded the left hand main gear and it collapsed. This resulted in damage to the left wing, the forward fuselage frame members and a sudden stoppage propeller strike damaging the propeller. The aircraft was moved from the runway area where the accident occurred before the FAA iic was able to be onsite.

As the FAA filed it

AT APPROXIMATELY 1730PDT ON 06/22/2022 AN EXPERIMENTAL AMATEUR BUILT AIRCRAFT, A ROBERT FITTS, FITTS CUB, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS LANDING AT STARK?S TWIN OAKS AIRPARK (7S3) ON RUNWAY 02. UPON TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A STRONG GUST OF WIND FROM THE WEST ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE LEFT MAIN TOUCHED THE RUNWAY FIRST CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO VEER TO THE LEFT. DUE TO THE CROSSWIND THE PILOT WAS ALREADY APPLYING FULL RUDDER AND AILERON INPUTS TO COMPENSATE FOR THE CROSSWIND BUT THE AIRPLANE BECAME UNCONTROLLABLE. THE PILOT PUT THE RIGHT HAND MAIN WHEEL ON THE RUNWAY BUT THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TO VEER TO THE LEFT WHICH SIDE LOADED THE LEFT HAND MAIN GEAR AND IT COLLAPSED. THIS RESULTED IN DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING, THE FORWARD FUSELAGE FRAME MEMBERS AND A SUDDEN STOPPAGE PROPELLER STRIKE DAMAGING THE PROPELLER. THE AIRCRAFT WAS MOVED FROM THE RUNWAY AREA WHERE THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED BEFORE THE FAA IIC WAS ABLE TO BE ONSITE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB WPR22LA224Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportHillsboro, ORThe pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during landing in gusting wind.Jun 23, 2022 · Substantial damage