What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 09/03/2023 at approximately 14:29 local time the pilot of privacy data omitted, a Bellanca viking BL17, while conducting a landing on runway 33 at Martin State Airport (mtn), struck a taxiway sign and taxiway light doing minor damage to the aircraft. The pilot stated that he bounced on landing then drifting to the left of centerline and landed on the taxiway sign for the intersecting taxiway juliette (j) and a taxiway light on the same taxiway. He then realized that he was not in a good position to continue the landing and decided to do a go around. The pilot brought the aircraft back around and made a normal landing on runway 33 without incident. The pilot stated that while taxing back to the hangar he noticed that the aircraft was pulling to the left. After he shut down, he inspected the airplane and found that the left main gear was slightly turned outward which explained why the aircraft was pulling to the left on taxi. Additionally, there were several holes punctured in the fabric on the left flap and down the left side of the fuselage. There were also some holes punched through the fabric on the left side vertical stabilizer, all caused by flying debris from the pieces of the taxiway sign and taxiway light. The pilot was the only person on board and there were no injuries.
As the FAA filed it
ON 09/03/2023 AT APPROXIMATELY 14:29 LOCAL TIME THE PILOT OF ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A BELLANCA VIKING BL17, WHILE CONDUCTING A LANDING ON RUNWAY 33 AT MARTIN STATE AIRPORT (MTN), STRUCK A TAXIWAY SIGN AND TAXIWAY LIGHT DOING MINOR DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE BOUNCED ON LANDING THEN DRIFTING TO THE LEFT OF CENTERLINE AND LANDED ON THE TAXIWAY SIGN FOR THE INTERSECTING TAXIWAY JULIETTE (J) AND A TAXIWAY LIGHT ON THE SAME TAXIWAY. HE THEN REALIZED THAT HE WAS NOT IN A GOOD POSITION TO CONTINUE THE LANDING AND DECIDED TO DO A GO AROUND. THE PILOT BROUGHT THE AIRCRAFT BACK AROUND AND MADE A NORMAL LANDING ON RUNWAY 33 WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE PILOT STATED THAT WHILE TAXING BACK TO THE HANGAR HE NOTICED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS PULLING TO THE LEFT. AFTER HE SHUT DOWN, HE INSPECTED THE AIRPLANE AND FOUND THAT THE LEFT MAIN GEAR WAS SLIGHTLY TURNED OUTWARD WHICH EXPLAINED WHY THE AIRCRAFT WAS PULLING TO THE LEFT ON TAXI. ADDITIONALLY, THERE WERE SEVERAL HOLES PUNCTURED IN THE FABRIC ON THE LEFT FLAP AND DOWN THE LEFT SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE. THERE WERE ALSO SOME HOLES PUNCHED THROUGH THE FABRIC ON THE LEFT SIDE VERTICAL STABILIZER, ALL CAUSED BY FLYING DEBRIS FROM THE PIECES OF THE TAXIWAY SIGN AND TAXIWAY LIGHT. THE PILOT WAS THE ONLY PERSON ON BOARD AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.