# NTSB CEN25LA245: Fairchild 24R, N81210, Greeley, CO, July 9, 2025

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report
- Date: July 9, 2025, 14:49 local (20:49 UTC)
- Place: Greeley, CO
- Coordinates: 40.429, -104.64 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.4290&lon=-104.6400&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Landing-landing roll: Flight control sys malf/fail](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/333)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 3 uninjured
- Status: Completed
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office: Central Region
- Parties: FAA FSDO
- NTSB case key (mKey): 200504
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN25LA245
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/200504/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=200504
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN25LA245

## Probable cause

The pilot’s inability to maintain directional control during landing due to excessive wear in the tailwheel steering assembly.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Landing gear system: landing gear steering system](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023250): Aircraft › Aircraft systems · Fatigue/wear/corrosion (probable cause); cases with it: [Fairchild 24R-46, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023250/cases.md?model=3370514), [All aircraft, 32 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023250/cases.md)
- [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Fairchild 24R-46, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=3370514), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md)
- [Performance/control parameters: directional control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Attain/maintain not possible (probable cause); cases with it: [Fairchild 24R-46, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020/cases.md?model=3370514), [All aircraft, 3,958 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Landing-landing roll: Flight control sys malf/fail](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/333) (defining event); cases with it: [Fairchild 24R-46, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/333/sequence.md?model=3370514), [All aircraft, 410 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/333/sequence.md)
- [Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230); cases with it: [Fairchild 24R-46, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230/sequence.md?model=3370514), [All aircraft, 4,585 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230/sequence.md)
- [Landing-landing roll: Landing gear collapse](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094); cases with it: [Fairchild 24R-46, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094/sequence.md?model=3370514), [All aircraft, 1,787 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094/sequence.md)

## Analysis

During the landing as the tailwheel touched down on the runway, the tailwheel began to shimmy, and the airplane drifted left of the centerline. The left seat pilot attempted to maintain control, and the right seat pilot twice made minor inputs to maintain the centerline and “lifted the tailwheel” to alleviate the shimmy. When the tailwheel touched down a third time and the airplane’s full weight was placed on the tailwheel, the airplane veered sharply to the left. Full application of the right rudder did not correct the left turn, and the airplane ground looped. Substantial damage was sustained to the airplane’s left wing. A postaccident examination of the airplane found that the steering arm of the tailwheel assembly had been contacting tail structure in a location that was only visible when the tailwheel suspension and steering assembly had been removed and not during the routine annual inspection. It is likely that the airplane’s weight load on the tailwheel compressed the area enough due to excessive wear to restrict steering and rudder control during the landing. The airplane had accumulated 2 hours of flight since the most recent annual inspection.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N81210](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N81210), registered now, S/N R46-111, built 1946 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: FAIRCHILD 24R (46)
- Registry model: [Fairchild 24R-46](https://openairdocs.org/model/fairchild-24r-46) (registry code 3370514) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Fairchild 6-440 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/fairchild-6-440-series) (registry code 26003, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: R46-111
- Year built: 1946
- Airframe hours: 1658.5
- Engines: Ranger 6-400C-5 200 hp reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Registered owner: Fairchild Argus LLC
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Utility
- Last inspection: Annual, February 2, 2025, 2 hours before
- Airport: GXY, Greeley-Weld County, runway 28, 5,801 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment: ADS-B

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 49; injuries: none; private, flight instructor, military; airplane ratings: single-engine sea, multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; last flight review May 22, 2025; seat: right; restraint: 4-point; flight hours: 4,166 total, 40 in this make and model, 2,234 as pilot in command, 28 in the last 90 days, 16 in the last 30 days, 3 in the last 24 hours
- Pilot; age 80; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land, single-engine sea, multi-engine land; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; last flight review February 21, 2023; seat: left; restraint: 4-point; flight hours: 1,311 total, 102 in this make and model, 1,073 as pilot in command

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: calm
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 102 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observed at: KGXY, 1 nm away
- METAR: KGXY 092056Z 00000KT 10SM 39/M03 A3006 RMK AO2 SLP126 T03891028 56020 $

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20250709009089A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250709009089A), Jul 9, 2025: Fairchild 24R-46, Greeley, CO, Substantial damage. On roll out the airplane drifted to the left of the centerline, right rudder input was made but limited by a blocked tail wheel steering control arm in the…

## Other investigations on N81210 (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB UNK64X1884](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/UNK64X1884), May 22, 1964: Fairchild 24R46 (N81210), Broomfield, CO, substantial damage

## Docket (3 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 18, 2025, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=200504. 3.3 MB in all.

- Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 10 pages, 2.7 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19100048&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=ntsb%20form%206120%20-%20cen25la245_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Photo (item 2, PDF, 2 pages, 1 photo, 329 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19214093&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=cen24la245%20photo%201-Rel.pdf
- FAA examination summary (item 3, PDF, 2 pages, 2 photos, 307 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19214281&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Fairchild%2024%20%20%20%20N81210%20CEN25LA245%20DWS%20signed-Rel.pdf

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

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