What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The incident aircraft was found during a routine airport observation on may 19, 2023. The aircraft was observed tied down with covers. An investigation was intiatied where the following was discovered:
The pilot departed kcdw around 0825 on July 31, 2022. Approximately 4 hours of fuel on board and one passenger. The flight proceed normally and he requested and received VFR flight following shortly after takeoff and cruise, after clearing the new york class b airspace, at 5,500FT to klwm.
Upon arrival to klwm, the tower instructed the pilot to make right traffic for runway 23. The conditions were clear. The pilot recalls the winds to be less than 8KTS from the wnw. Touch down and landing was normal, ~45MPH and (about 20-30 feet after rollout), the plane was relatively slow, less than 40 mph and around 20 mph he reported having a hard time keeping the centerline. He applied full left rudder and used the left brake and still was not able to keep the plane from continuing to the right. The plane then entered a ground loop and came to rest on the right side of the runway 23 (the aircraft did not depart the runway) the aircraft came to rest but was no sitting level. During the event the left hand wing made contact with the runway damaging the out board trailing edge of the wing tip and aileron. A review of flight aware confirms and placed this aircraft on a flight from kcdw (caldwell NJ) to lwm (Lawrence, MA) on July 31, 2022 landing at ~ 936. However, a review of eon shows no reports for this aircraft having an event on that day. METAR for lwm on 7-31-2021 reported that the winds at 8:54 were 6 knots from 300 (northwest) and at 9:54 am it were 7 knots from 320.
The wheel half was note to be damaged where it made contact with the runway surface, with the wheel half rim was rolled over and cracked and the tire peeled away from the wheel assembly. The inner tube and tire sidewall were damaged as a result of the wheel half coming to rest on top. An inspection of both tires showed no evidence of hard braking. The brake master cylinders however showed signs of circumferential scoring on the piston shafts. This scoring is consistent with Maule sl no.71. Which discusses scoring of the shafts which can prevent the disengagement of the parking brake lock even if the braking brake knob appears to be released (against the instrument panel) which can cause the brake system to retain pressure in the affected system. The pilot stated however that he did not use or had not used the parking brake prior to this event. It could not be determined if the parking brake had been set prior to the event or retained any residual pressure due to the time elapsed before discovery.
The mechanic was interviewed and questions related to the landing gear and braking system condition and function. The mechanic performing the inspections and repairs stated that there were no issues noted with the tires, inner tubes, wheels or brakes (except the damaged caused by the ground loop to the RH tire, inner tube and wheel halves). During this follow up interview, the damaged LH main landing gear leg was examined with the fairing removed and the lower portion of the “a” frame was noted to be twisted reward and down. There was no evidence of cracking, corrosion or other failures to the steel tubing, welds or hardware.
No injuries were reported for either the pilot or his passenger.
As the FAA filed it
THE INCIDENT AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND DURING A ROUTINE AIRPORT OBSERVATION ON MAY 19, 2023. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED TIED DOWN WITH COVERS. AN INVESTIGATION WAS INTIATIED WHERE THE FOLLOWING WAS DISCOVERED:
THE PILOT DEPARTED KCDW AROUND 0825 ON JULY 31, 2022. APPROXIMATELY 4 HOURS OF FUEL ON BOARD AND ONE PASSENGER. THE FLIGHT PROCEED NORMALLY AND HE REQUESTED AND RECEIVED VFR FLIGHT FOLLOWING SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF AND CRUISE, AFTER CLEARING THE NEW YORK CLASS B AIRSPACE, AT 5,500FT TO KLWM.
UPON ARRIVAL TO KLWM, THE TOWER INSTRUCTED THE PILOT TO MAKE RIGHT TRAFFIC FOR RUNWAY 23. THE CONDITIONS WERE CLEAR. THE PILOT RECALLS THE WINDS TO BE LESS THAN 8KTS FROM THE WNW. TOUCH DOWN AND LANDING WAS NORMAL, ~45MPH AND (ABOUT 20-30 FEET AFTER ROLLOUT), THE PLANE WAS RELATIVELY SLOW, LESS THAN 40 MPH AND AROUND 20 MPH HE REPORTED HAVING A HARD TIME KEEPING THE CENTERLINE. HE APPLIED FULL LEFT RUDDER AND USED THE LEFT BRAKE AND STILL WAS NOT ABLE TO KEEP THE PLANE FROM CONTINUING TO THE RIGHT. THE PLANE THEN ENTERED A GROUND LOOP AND CAME TO REST ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY 23 (THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT DEPART THE RUNWAY) THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST BUT WAS NO SITTING LEVEL. DURING THE EVENT THE LEFT HAND WING MADE CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY DAMAGING THE OUT BOARD TRAILING EDGE OF THE WING TIP AND AILERON. A REVIEW OF FLIGHT AWARE CONFIRMS AND PLACED THIS AIRCRAFT ON A FLIGHT FROM KCDW (CALDWELL NJ) TO LWM (LAWRENCE, MA) ON JULY 31, 2022 LANDING AT ~ 936. HOWEVER, A REVIEW OF EON SHOWS NO REPORTS FOR THIS AIRCRAFT HAVING AN EVENT ON THAT DAY. METAR FOR LWM ON 7-31-2021 REPORTED THAT THE WINDS AT 8:54 WERE 6 KNOTS FROM 300 (NORTHWEST) AND AT 9:54 AM IT WERE 7 KNOTS FROM 320.
THE WHEEL HALF WAS NOTE TO BE DAMAGED WHERE IT MADE CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY SURFACE, WITH THE WHEEL HALF RIM WAS ROLLED OVER AND CRACKED AND THE TIRE PEELED AWAY FROM THE WHEEL ASSEMBLY. THE INNER TUBE AND TIRE SIDEWALL WERE DAMAGED AS A RESULT OF THE WHEEL HALF COMING TO REST ON TOP. AN INSPECTION OF BOTH TIRES SHOWED NO EVIDENCE OF HARD BRAKING. THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDERS HOWEVER SHOWED SIGNS OF CIRCUMFERENTIAL SCORING ON THE PISTON SHAFTS. THIS SCORING IS CONSISTENT WITH MAULE SL NO.71. WHICH DISCUSSES SCORING OF THE SHAFTS WHICH CAN PREVENT THE DISENGAGEMENT OF THE PARKING BRAKE LOCK EVEN IF THE BRAKING BRAKE KNOB APPEARS TO BE RELEASED (AGAINST THE INSTRUMENT PANEL) WHICH CAN CAUSE THE BRAKE SYSTEM TO RETAIN PRESSURE IN THE AFFECTED SYSTEM. THE PILOT STATED HOWEVER THAT HE DID NOT USE OR HAD NOT USED THE PARKING BRAKE PRIOR TO THIS EVENT. IT COULD NOT BE DETERMINED IF THE PARKING BRAKE HAD BEEN SET PRIOR TO THE EVENT OR RETAINED ANY RESIDUAL PRESSURE DUE TO THE TIME ELAPSED BEFORE DISCOVERY.
THE MECHANIC WAS INTERVIEWED AND QUESTIONS RELATED TO THE LANDING GEAR AND BRAKING SYSTEM CONDITION AND FUNCTION. THE MECHANIC PERFORMING THE INSPECTIONS AND REPAIRS STATED THAT THERE WERE NO ISSUES NOTED WITH THE TIRES, INNER TUBES, WHEELS OR BRAKES (EXCEPT THE DAMAGED CAUSED BY THE GROUND LOOP TO THE RH TIRE, INNER TUBE AND WHEEL HALVES). DURING THIS FOLLOW UP INTERVIEW, THE DAMAGED LH MAIN LANDING GEAR LEG WAS EXAMINED WITH THE FAIRING REMOVED AND THE LOWER PORTION OF THE “A” FRAME WAS NOTED TO BE TWISTED REWARD AND DOWN. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF CRACKING, CORROSION OR OTHER FAILURES TO THE STEEL TUBING, WELDS OR HARDWARE.
NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED FOR EITHER THE PILOT OR HIS PASSENGER.