What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
This was the first flight of this aircraft after purchase and training was being provided for a tailwheel endorsement. The tower reported that the aircraft departed runway 33 at a slow speed, the wings started to rock and the aircraft decended. Upon landing the landing gear collapsed. The aircraft veered off the runway to the left. The propeller struck the ground. Both pilots stated that there appeared to be no mechanical abnormalities with the aircraft and engine. A thumb compression test was permormed and found to be normal. Flight control continuity was established. The throttle contunuity was established. The spark plugs appeared normal. There was a minimum of 6 gallons of 100LL per wing. The rotary valve oil in the oil tank appeared to be cream colored. According to Rotax service instruction SI-03-1996, "random field reports have indicated possible contamination of the rotary valve shaft oil by engine coolant and/or excessive rotary valve oil consumption caused by leakage across the rotary valve shaft seals". Contamination of the rotary valve oil by engine coolant can lead to reduced bearing and gear lubrication and possible failure of the
Cross shaft. Both pilots however, stated that the engine appeared to run normally. There were different empty weights found in the maintenance record versus the fligth manual.
As the FAA filed it
THIS WAS THE FIRST FLIGHT OF THIS AIRCRAFT AFTER PURCHASE AND TRAINING WAS BEING PROVIDED FOR A TAILWHEEL ENDORSEMENT. THE TOWER REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED RUNWAY 33 AT A SLOW SPEED, THE WINGS STARTED TO ROCK AND THE AIRCRAFT DECENDED. UPON LANDING THE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED. THE AIRCRAFT VEERED OFF THE RUNWAY TO THE LEFT. THE PROPELLER STRUCK THE GROUND. BOTH PILOTS STATED THAT THERE APPEARED TO BE NO MECHANICAL ABNORMALITIES WITH THE AIRCRAFT AND ENGINE. A THUMB COMPRESSION TEST WAS PERMORMED AND FOUND TO BE NORMAL. FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED. THE THROTTLE CONTUNUITY WAS ESTABLISHED. THE SPARK PLUGS APPEARED NORMAL. THERE WAS A MINIMUM OF 6 GALLONS OF 100LL PER WING. THE ROTARY VALVE OIL IN THE OIL TANK APPEARED TO BE CREAM COLORED. ACCORDING TO ROTAX SERVICE INSTRUCTION SI-03-1996, "RANDOM FIELD REPORTS HAVE INDICATED POSSIBLE CONTAMINATION OF THE ROTARY VALVE SHAFT OIL BY ENGINE COOLANT AND/OR EXCESSIVE ROTARY VALVE OIL CONSUMPTION CAUSED BY LEAKAGE ACROSS THE ROTARY VALVE SHAFT SEALS". CONTAMINATION OF THE ROTARY VALVE OIL BY ENGINE COOLANT CAN LEAD TO REDUCED BEARING AND GEAR LUBRICATION AND POSSIBLE FAILURE OF THE
CROSS SHAFT. BOTH PILOTS HOWEVER, STATED THAT THE ENGINE APPEARED TO RUN NORMALLY. THERE WERE DIFFERENT EMPTY WEIGHTS FOUND IN THE MAINTENANCE RECORD VERSUS THE FLIGTH MANUAL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.