What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft was conducting a normal approach to landing at kdec on runway 18. On touchdown, the aircraft experienced oscilations of the tailwheel as evidenced by the marks left on the runway. The tail of the aircraft eventually swung FAR to the right of the aircraft collapsing the right main landing gear near the edge of the runway and struck the propellor and right wing tip. Inertia carried the aircraft off the left side of runway 18 into the grass. The aircraft continued its roation and came to a rest upright on a heading of approximately 290.
Post accident investigation discovered that the tail wheel lock handle was engaged in the cockpit, but the pin that locks the tailwheel was not engaged. Examination of the tail wheel lock pin found that the pin was protruding through the housing approximately 1/16".
The handle was operated several times with no change of positon of the locking pin. Continuity of the controls proved that the handle and cable mechanism was complete but that the spring that locks the pin into the tail wheel receptacle did not have enough tension to overcome the resistance of the housing through which it passed. The pin and spring were eventually freed and successive operation of the cockpit handle provided positive engagement of the tail wheel lock and extension of the pin through the housing of approximately 1/2".
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT WAS CONDUCTING A NORMAL APPROACH TO LANDING AT KDEC ON RUNWAY 18. ON TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED OSCILATIONS OF THE TAILWHEEL AS EVIDENCED BY THE MARKS LEFT ON THE RUNWAY. THE TAIL OF THE AIRCRAFT EVENTUALLY SWUNG FAR TO THE RIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT COLLAPSING THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR NEAR THE EDGE OF THE RUNWAY AND STRUCK THE PROPELLOR AND RIGHT WING TIP. INERTIA CARRIED THE AIRCRAFT OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF RUNWAY 18 INTO THE GRASS. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED ITS ROATION AND CAME TO A REST UPRIGHT ON A HEADING OF APPROXIMATELY 290.
POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION DISCOVERED THAT THE TAIL WHEEL LOCK HANDLE WAS ENGAGED IN THE COCKPIT, BUT THE PIN THAT LOCKS THE TAILWHEEL WAS NOT ENGAGED. EXAMINATION OF THE TAIL WHEEL LOCK PIN FOUND THAT THE PIN WAS PROTRUDING THROUGH THE HOUSING APPROXIMATELY 1/16".
THE HANDLE WAS OPERATED SEVERAL TIMES WITH NO CHANGE OF POSITON OF THE LOCKING PIN. CONTINUITY OF THE CONTROLS PROVED THAT THE HANDLE AND CABLE MECHANISM WAS COMPLETE BUT THAT THE SPRING THAT LOCKS THE PIN INTO THE TAIL WHEEL RECEPTACLE DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH TENSION TO OVERCOME THE RESISTANCE OF THE HOUSING THROUGH WHICH IT PASSED. THE PIN AND SPRING WERE EVENTUALLY FREED AND SUCCESSIVE OPERATION OF THE COCKPIT HANDLE PROVIDED POSITIVE ENGAGEMENT OF THE TAIL WHEEL LOCK AND EXTENSION OF THE PIN THROUGH THE HOUSING OF APPROXIMATELY 1/2".
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.