ANC95LA065

The pilot stated that the wind was gusting and when she was 10 feet above the ground the wind stopped. The airplane landed hard, tailwheel first, and bounced into the air. Upon touching down the second time the airplane veered to the right. She applied left rudder but could not move the rudder. Examination of the airplane showed that the right lower longeron was bent. This displaced the left rudder stop toward the right side of the airplane which reduced the left rudder's amount of travel.

On June 4, 1995, at 1745 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped Piper PA-18-150 airplane, N9299D, registered to and operated by the pilot, landed hard and veered off the runway into the trees at Manley Hot Springs, Alaska. The personal flight, operating under 14 CFR Part 91, departed Fairbanks, Alaska, and the destination was Manley Hot Springs. No flight plan was filed and visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured and the airplane was substantially damaged.

According to the pilot, the wind was gusting during her final approach and she was planning on making a "wheel landing." When the airplane was 10 feet above the runway's surface, she stated the wind stopped and the airplane hit the ground hard. It bounced into the air and when it touched down a second time it veered to the right. The pilot stated she applied left rudder but it would not move. It felt like it was against the stop or jammed.

A subsequent interview between the pilot and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Flight Standards Inspector, revealed that the tail of the airplane hit the ground first, then the main landing gear.

According to the FAA Inspector who examined the airplane wreckage, when the tailwheel struck the ground it bent the lower right longeron and shifted the left rudder stop toward the right side of the airplane. This reduced the left rudder's range of travel.