- Date
- September 28, 2008, 15:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Dayton, OH
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9272CNorth American Harvard MK
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 22, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20080928850439A
- Case key
- 69227
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
Improper maintenance on the tail wheel anti-shimmy mechanism and the pilot's decision to continue operating the airplane with a known shimmy in the tail wheel.
Findings · 3
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
The pilot reported that when the tail wheel touched down during landing, he felt a "severe oscillation" which prevented him from maintaining directional control of the airplane. The airplane veered off the right side of the runway where it contacted a ditch collapsing the left main landing gear. The pilot reported he had always been able to control the airplane in the past with the tail wheel shimmy by using the brakes. Inspection of the airplane revealed the tail wheel clutch locking assembly cam was worn. In addition, the anti-shimmy friction spring was tightened down beyond limits.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that when the tail wheel touched down during landing, he felt a "severe oscillation" which prevented him from maintaining directional control of the airplane. The airplane veered off the right side of the runway where it contacted a ditch, collapsing the left main landing gear. The pilot reported that he had always been able to control the airplane in the past with the tail wheel shimmy by using the brakes. Inspection of the airplane revealed the tail wheel clutch locking assembly cam was worn. In addition, the anti-shimmy friction spring was tightened down beyond limits.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9272C
- Reported as
- North American Harvard MK
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 88-12054
- Airframe hours
- 9,983
- Engine
- P&W R1340 SERIES, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- Warbird Flyers LLC
- Registered owner
- Warbird Flyers LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 7, 2007 · 55 hours before
- Departed
- Dayton, OH
- Destination
- I19 · Xenia, OH
- Airport
- I19 · Greene County, runway 25, 4,500 × 75 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
- 67
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 4, 2007
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 5,186 total · 733 in this make and model · 4,059 as pilot in command · 28 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.10 inHg
- Observed at
- DAY
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.