- Date
- July 10, 1983, 12:08 local (20:08 UTC)
- Place
- Eielson Afb, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N68396Cessna 305E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19830710030059A
- Case key
- 4037
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
According to the plt the wind was variable from 210 to 240 deg at 2 gusting 8 KTS. While landing on the wide rwy (31), he touched down on the right side & was angling to the left to minimize the x-wind component. After touchdown, the acft veered to the left & the right main gear collapsed. An exam of the acft revealed the tailwheel assembly was loose at the attaching point to the leaf spring. Also, it was assembled incorrectly which made the pivot operation stiff. However, the tailwheel reportedly would not jam to 1 side.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N68396
- Reported as
- Cessna 305E
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 23522
- Airframe hours
- 4,402
- Engine
- Continental O-470-15, 213 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Donald G. Ritter
- Registered owner
- Civil Air Patrol, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 26, 1983 · 24 hours before
- Departed
- FAI · Fairbanks, AK
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- EIL · Eielson Afb, runway 31, 14,500 × 150 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 50
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 1,231 total · 16 in this make and model · 1,040 as pilot in command · 19 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 2 knots, gusting 8
- Visibility
- 80 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 16,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 73 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N68396 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.