ANC98LA114

During the landing roll, after a wheel landing, the airplane veered left and departed the runway. The airplane's tailwheel fork assembly fractured. Postaccident inspection revealed the tailwheel offset to the left of the fuselage. Inspection at the NTSB metallurgical laboratory showed overstress separations with no evidence of preexisting cracking. The airplane and assembly had both accumulated 29,846 hours in operation at the time of the accident.

On July 31, 1998, at 1526 Alaska daylight time, a Douglas DC-3C airplane, N305SF, sustained substantial damage during landing on runway 32 at Anchorage International Airport, Anchorage, Alaska. The two pilots, the only occupants, were not injured. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 as a repositioning flight by Galaxy Air Cargo, Inc., of Anchorage, Alaska. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and a company VFR flight plan was filed. The flight departed Nondalton, Alaska, at 1400 for Anchorage.

The pilot reported that during a normal wheel landing, after lowering the tail at slow speed, the airplane veered left, and departed the runway edge. The airplane was then taxied to the ramp. The tail cone was dragged on the runway, damaging the tail cone attachment bulkhead. Postaccident inspection revealed two stringers in the tailwheel area requiring repair. The tailwheel was offset to the left of the fuselage, and the tailwheel fork assembly casting was found fractured.

Inspection of the tailwheel fork at the NTSB metallurgical lab revealed overstress separations with no evidence of preexisting cracking. The airplane, and the tailwheel fork assembly had both accumulated 29,857 hours in operation at the time of the accident.