What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot departed gulkana airport enroute to Sanford River Airstrip to pick up passengers located near a glacier. Winds appeared very light at less than 5 knots. Pilot entered normal left traffic pattern landing to the southwest. Airstrip reported as well used, but somewhat narrow requiring strict directional control. Upon smooth touchdown using normal rudder control pressure, pilot heard a popping or snapping sound causing left rudder pedal to travel forward and contact firewall resulting in loss of left rudder pedal to operate left brake or tailwheel steering. No attempt by pilot to use right rudder pedal to avoid aircraft departing right side of runway at a higher landing speed. As aircraft slowed along the runway centerline, tail drifted left, departed right side of runway surface entering ground loop and stopping at a near vertical position. Damage sustained to left wingtip and propeller with full engine stoppage. Pilot completed aircraft shutdown procedures and safely exited aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT DEPARTED GULKANA AIRPORT ENROUTE TO SANFORD RIVER AIRSTRIP TO PICK UP PASSENGERS LOCATED NEAR A GLACIER. WINDS APPEARED VERY LIGHT AT LESS THAN 5 KNOTS. PILOT ENTERED NORMAL LEFT TRAFFIC PATTERN LANDING TO THE SOUTHWEST. AIRSTRIP REPORTED AS WELL USED, BUT SOMEWHAT NARROW REQUIRING STRICT DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. UPON SMOOTH TOUCHDOWN USING NORMAL RUDDER CONTROL PRESSURE, PILOT HEARD A POPPING OR SNAPPING SOUND CAUSING LEFT RUDDER PEDAL TO TRAVEL FORWARD AND CONTACT FIREWALL RESULTING IN LOSS OF LEFT RUDDER PEDAL TO OPERATE LEFT BRAKE OR TAILWHEEL STEERING. NO ATTEMPT BY PILOT TO USE RIGHT RUDDER PEDAL TO AVOID AIRCRAFT DEPARTING RIGHT SIDE OF RUNWAY AT A HIGHER LANDING SPEED. AS AIRCRAFT SLOWED ALONG THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE, TAIL DRIFTED LEFT, DEPARTED RIGHT SIDE OF RUNWAY SURFACE ENTERING GROUND LOOP AND STOPPING AT A NEAR VERTICAL POSITION. DAMAGE SUSTAINED TO LEFT WINGTIP AND PROPELLER WITH FULL ENGINE STOPPAGE. PILOT COMPLETED AIRCRAFT SHUTDOWN PROCEDURES AND SAFELY EXITED AIRCRAFT.
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 N91393 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.