What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 23rd, at approximately 6:00 pm EDT, a Flight design Ctsw landed on a private Grass airstrip in Cuba, NY, under VMC conditions with calm winds. The right main wheel attachment fitting, which secures the wheel to the landing gear tube, failed upon touchdown. This caused the main wheel to detach and led to a ground loop. The incident resulted in damage to the right wingtip, tail cone, nose gear strut, and a tear in the composite fuselage at the right main landing gear tube attachment point. Both the pilot and passenger were uninjured, but the aircraft incurred substantial damage.
The pilot and passenger reported that the approach, airspeed, landing spot, and flare were all within acceptable limits, and neither considered it to be a hard landing.
The FAA iic arrived at the scene on Monday, July 29th, to inspect the aircraft and its records. The aircraft had been removed from the runway and placed on a trailer. It had undergone a current 12-month condition inspection, and there was no recent maintenance that could have caused the failure. No relevant airworthiness directives (ADS), manufacturer safety alerts, service bulletins, or service notifications were related to the failure. After reviewing the aircraft, its records, and the pilot's account of the incident, the cause of the fracture in the right main wheel attachment remained undetermined. The pilot/ privacy data omitted reported no recent hard landings or excessive side loads.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 23RD, AT APPROXIMATELY 6:00 PM EDT, A FLIGHT DESIGN CTSW LANDED ON A PRIVATE GRASS AIRSTRIP IN CUBA, NY, UNDER VMC CONDITIONS WITH CALM WINDS. THE RIGHT MAIN WHEEL ATTACHMENT FITTING, WHICH SECURES THE WHEEL TO THE LANDING GEAR TUBE, FAILED UPON TOUCHDOWN. THIS CAUSED THE MAIN WHEEL TO DETACH AND LED TO A GROUND LOOP. THE INCIDENT RESULTED IN DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WINGTIP, TAIL CONE, NOSE GEAR STRUT, AND A TEAR IN THE COMPOSITE FUSELAGE AT THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR TUBE ATTACHMENT POINT. BOTH THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE UNINJURED, BUT THE AIRCRAFT INCURRED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.
THE PILOT AND PASSENGER REPORTED THAT THE APPROACH, AIRSPEED, LANDING SPOT, AND FLARE WERE ALL WITHIN ACCEPTABLE LIMITS, AND NEITHER CONSIDERED IT TO BE A HARD LANDING.
THE FAA IIC ARRIVED AT THE SCENE ON MONDAY, JULY 29TH, TO INSPECT THE AIRCRAFT AND ITS RECORDS. THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN REMOVED FROM THE RUNWAY AND PLACED ON A TRAILER. IT HAD UNDERGONE A CURRENT 12-MONTH CONDITION INSPECTION, AND THERE WAS NO RECENT MAINTENANCE THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED THE FAILURE. NO RELEVANT AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES (ADS), MANUFACTURER SAFETY ALERTS, SERVICE BULLETINS, OR SERVICE NOTIFICATIONS WERE RELATED TO THE FAILURE. AFTER REVIEWING THE AIRCRAFT, ITS RECORDS, AND THE PILOT'S ACCOUNT OF THE INCIDENT, THE CAUSE OF THE FRACTURE IN THE RIGHT MAIN WHEEL ATTACHMENT REMAINED UNDETERMINED. THE PILOT/ ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ REPORTED NO RECENT HARD LANDINGS OR EXCESSIVE SIDE LOADS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.