- Date
- April 27, 2012, 16:15 local (21:15 UTC)
- Place
- Vidalia, LA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4523Tucker-Hurni Starduster SA-300
- Defining event
- Landing: Landing gear collapse
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 14, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20120427009869A
- Case key
- 83552
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 failure of the airplane’s right main landing gear due to a pre-existing fatigue crack and corrosion.
Findings · 2
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
While on the landing roll in a grassy area with rough terrain, the airplane's right main landing gear broke and separated from the airplane. The pilot was then unable to maintain directional control of the airplane, which then nosed over and came to rest inverted with substantial damage to the upper wing and rudder. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the right landing gear strut had a pre-existing fatigue fracture with interior corrosion, which was not discovered during a previous inspection.
Factual narrative
To help with directional control on the tailwheel equipped airplane, the pilot landed in grassy area with rough terrain features. While on the landing roll, the airplane's right main landing gear broke and separated from the airplane. Directional control of the airplane was lost, the airplane nosed over, and came to rest in the inverted position. Substantial damage was sustained to the airplane's upper wing and rudder. An examination of the airplane revealed a pre-existing fatigue fracture with interior corrosion of the right landing gear strut, that was not discovered during the previous inspection.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4523
- Reported as
- Tucker-Hurni Starduster SA-300
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 259
- Airframe hours
- 427
- Engine
- Cont Motor C-125-2, 125 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · September 2, 2011
- Departed
- 0R4 · Vidalia, LA
- Destination
- 0R4 · Vidalia, LA
- Airport
- 0R4 · Concordia Parish, runway 14, 3,700 × 100 ft
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
- 68
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 12, 2011
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 2,761 total · 69 in this make and model · 2,690 as pilot in command · 18 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- KHEZ, 11 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 8, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 990 KB 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.