- Date
- October 3, 1993, 15:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Greenfield, IN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N17117Welch OW8M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 25, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19931003037509A
- Case key
- 9403
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 pilot's failure to properly flare the airplane. The gusty crosswind was a factor.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The landing was made on runway 18 with local winds reported as 235 degrees at 10 knots gusting to 20 knots. The pilot reported encountering turbulence just prior to touchdown due to a line of trees along the right side of the runway. He stated the touchdown was hard and the left main gear failed at the axle weld. The airplane traveled approximately 30 feet at which time the strut dug into the terrain and the airplane rolled over. The landing gear strut had no shock absorption ability.
Factual narrative
On October 3, 1993, at 1500 eastern standard time, a Welch OW8M, NC17117, registered to the Air Power Museum, Inc., experienced a gear collapse and rollover on landing at Pope Field, Greenfield, Indiana, while on a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The airplane was substantially damaged and the pilot was not injured. The flight originated from Pope Field at approximately 1445 est.
The pilot stated that local winds were from approximately 235 degrees at 10 knots gusting to 20 knots and he was landing on runway 18. He stated that due to trees along the right side of the runway, low level turbulence was experienced just prior to touchdown as he descended below tree level. The airplane touched down hard and the left main gear separated at the axle weld. The airplane continued to travel for approximately 30 feet when the gear strut dug into the terrain and the airplane rolled over.
The pilot stated the landing was hard but not in excess of other landings he has made. He stated the landing gear strut has no provisions for shock absorption. The pilot stated he has 500 to 600 hour of experience in tailwheel airplanes.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N17117
- Reported as
- Welch OW8M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 49
- Airframe hours
- 335
- Engine
- Franklin 4-AC-150, 50 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Air Power Museum, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 9, 1993 · 332 hours before
- Departed
- GFD
- Destination
- GFD
- Airport
- GFD · Pope Field, runway 18, 2,000 × 120 ft, grass/turf
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
- 36
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 673 total · 2 in this make and model · 21 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 14 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- IND, 28 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.