- Date
- March 11, 2012, 12:45 local (17:45 UTC)
- Place
- Belle Chase, LA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3424YCessna 180H
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 21, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20120311003689A
- Case key
- 83106
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The bent tailwheel spring that allowed the tailwheel to caster when the airplane encountered a wind gust on landing roll.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
On downwind, the pilot noticed that the wind had increased and that there was light turbulence. He planned to land beyond some trees to avoid turbulence. The airplane encountered a wind gust during the landing roll. The pilot applied rudder and aileron corrections along with heavy braking. The airplane exited the runway and impacted a pipe rack resulting in substantial damage to the left wing. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that a tailwheel spring was bent, and its spring rate was weak, which allowed the tailwheel's fork to caster freely by not engaging into its machined locking detent.
Factual narrative
On downwind the pilot noticed that the wind had picked up and that there was light turbulence. He planned to land beyond trees to avoid turbulence. The airplane went through a gust of wind on roll out. The pilot applied rudder and aileron corrections along with heavy braking. The airplane exited the runway and impacted a pipe rack where the airplane sustained substantial damage to its left wing. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that a tailwheel spring, part number 3432, was bent and its spring rate was weak, which allowed the tailwheel's fork to caster freely by not engaging into its machined locking detent.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3424Y
- Reported as
- Cessna 180H
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18051896
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-470R, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 1, 2012
- Departed
- PQL · Pascagoula, MS
- Destination
- 65LA · Belle Chase, LA
- Airport
- 65LA · Southern Seaplane Airport, runway 02, 3,200 × 40 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
- 74
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight engineer
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 24, 2012
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 31,055 total · 5,323 in this make and model · 7 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 19 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,200 ft broken
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.20 inHg
- Observed at
- NGB, 2 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 30, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.2 MB in all.
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 N3424Y · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.