What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 25 August 2024, at 1915(z) the FAA received notice regarding an accident involving a Cessna 305 landed on runway and during landing roll out ground looped causing the aircraft to flip on its side for unknown reasons. 2 people on board, no injuries, and "aircraft damage extent unknown". Because of an error in reporting, this federal aviation administration (FAA) investigator in charge (iic) was unaware of the accident until 27 August. This iic and an additional ASI (aviation safety inspector) arrived at the accident scene at Sterling Airport (3B3) at 10:30 local time on 27 August to meet the one of the pilots involved and the airport manager.
A cursory examination of the accident area and aircraft by FAA personnel was conducted at this time. The aircraft was to the immediate north of the north taxiway, in the grass strip between the runway and the parking area. According to statements by the airport manager and the second-in command (SIC), the aircraft had landed in grass adjacent to runway 34 on the west side, compass heading 340 as is normal procedure for glider operations. The pilot-in-command (PIC) stated after landing he relaxed the left rudder as the plane was crossing over the taxiway which caused the plane to bounce slightly and start to turn to the right. Control inputs were insufficient to prevent the ground loop to the right. The SIC statement corroborates this, and he also stated he was also not able to keep it from a ground loop. The aircraft spun in clockwise direction, and nearing the end of the ground loop the left main spring gear broke, with the left wing, left rear horizontal stabilizer and propeller contacted the ground, and the plane came to rest with the aircraft nose facing approximately 140 degrees.
According to both crew statements, the engine stopped on its own with no fire, switches and fuel were shut off, and the crew exited the airplane.
The left wing sustained substantial damage, curved in an upward direction from contact with the ground, with skin distortion and apparent spar and rib damage. The aircraft spring gear overall surface had sporadic corrosion. Probable metal fatigue “beach marks” and cracks emanating from an upper surface corrosion pit approximately 3/32" deep at the point of the left-hand spring gear break were noted. The left-hand spring gear failed at this juncture when lateral load was induced during skid/clockwise ground loop.
As the FAA filed it
ON 25 AUGUST 2024, AT 1915(Z) THE FAA RECEIVED NOTICE REGARDING AN ACCIDENT INVOLVING A CESSNA 305 LANDED ON RUNWAY AND DURING LANDING ROLL OUT GROUND LOOPED CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO FLIP ON ITS SIDE FOR UNKNOWN REASONS. 2 PEOPLE ON BOARD, NO INJURIES, AND "AIRCRAFT DAMAGE EXTENT UNKNOWN". BECAUSE OF AN ERROR IN REPORTING, THIS FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) INVESTIGATOR IN CHARGE (IIC) WAS UNAWARE OF THE ACCIDENT UNTIL 27 AUGUST. THIS IIC AND AN ADDITIONAL ASI (AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTOR) ARRIVED AT THE ACCIDENT SCENE AT STERLING AIRPORT (3B3) AT 10:30 LOCAL TIME ON 27 AUGUST TO MEET THE ONE OF THE PILOTS INVOLVED AND THE AIRPORT MANAGER.
A CURSORY EXAMINATION OF THE ACCIDENT AREA AND AIRCRAFT BY FAA PERSONNEL WAS CONDUCTED AT THIS TIME. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TO THE IMMEDIATE NORTH OF THE NORTH TAXIWAY, IN THE GRASS STRIP BETWEEN THE RUNWAY AND THE PARKING AREA. ACCORDING TO STATEMENTS BY THE AIRPORT MANAGER AND THE SECOND-IN COMMAND (SIC), THE AIRCRAFT HAD LANDED IN GRASS ADJACENT TO RUNWAY 34 ON THE WEST SIDE, COMPASS HEADING 340 AS IS NORMAL PROCEDURE FOR GLIDER OPERATIONS. THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND (PIC) STATED AFTER LANDING HE RELAXED THE LEFT RUDDER AS THE PLANE WAS CROSSING OVER THE TAXIWAY WHICH CAUSED THE PLANE TO BOUNCE SLIGHTLY AND START TO TURN TO THE RIGHT. CONTROL INPUTS WERE INSUFFICIENT TO PREVENT THE GROUND LOOP TO THE RIGHT. THE SIC STATEMENT CORROBORATES THIS, AND HE ALSO STATED HE WAS ALSO NOT ABLE TO KEEP IT FROM A GROUND LOOP. THE AIRCRAFT SPUN IN CLOCKWISE DIRECTION, AND NEARING THE END OF THE GROUND LOOP THE LEFT MAIN SPRING GEAR BROKE, WITH THE LEFT WING, LEFT REAR HORIZONTAL STABILIZER AND PROPELLER CONTACTED THE GROUND, AND THE PLANE CAME TO REST WITH THE AIRCRAFT NOSE FACING APPROXIMATELY 140 DEGREES.
ACCORDING TO BOTH CREW STATEMENTS, THE ENGINE STOPPED ON ITS OWN WITH NO FIRE, SWITCHES AND FUEL WERE SHUT OFF, AND THE CREW EXITED THE AIRPLANE.
THE LEFT WING SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, CURVED IN AN UPWARD DIRECTION FROM CONTACT WITH THE GROUND, WITH SKIN DISTORTION AND APPARENT SPAR AND RIB DAMAGE. THE AIRCRAFT SPRING GEAR OVERALL SURFACE HAD SPORADIC CORROSION. PROBABLE METAL FATIGUE “BEACH MARKS” AND CRACKS EMANATING FROM AN UPPER SURFACE CORROSION PIT APPROXIMATELY 3/32" DEEP AT THE POINT OF THE LEFT-HAND SPRING GEAR BREAK WERE NOTED. THE LEFT-HAND SPRING GEAR FAILED AT THIS JUNCTURE WHEN LATERAL LOAD WAS INDUCED DURING SKID/CLOCKWISE GROUND LOOP.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N5673B · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.