ERA12LA505

The student pilot performed seven uneventful full-stop landings; however, during the takeoff that preceded the accident, he felt something abnormal from the tailwheel. During the subsequent landing, the airplane began to drift to the left and could not be controlled with the appropriate brake and rudder inputs. The airplane departed the left side of the runway, and the empennage was substantially damaged when it struck a precision approach path indicator light. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the linkage that attached the tailwheel to the rudder was not attached. The airplane had been operated for about 3 hours since its most recent annual inspection, which was performed about 3 weeks before the accident. In addition, the airplane was converted from a tricycle to tailwheel configuration and had undergone a complete restoration during the previous 2 years. The tailwheel linkage was not located, and its preaccident condition could not be determined.

On August 12, 2012, about 2045 central daylight time, a Piper PA-22-160, N9216D, operated by a private individual, was substantially damaged while landing at the Bay Minette Municipal Airport, Bay Minette (1R8), Alabama. The flight instructor and student pilot were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the instructional flight that was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. According to the flight instructor, the student pilot performed seven uneventful full-stop landings; however, during the takeoff that preceded the accident, he felt "something" abnormal from the tailwheel. During the subsequent landing, the airplane began to drift to the left, and could not be controlled with the appropriate brake and rudder inputs. The airplane departed the left side of the runway and the empennage struck a precision approach path indicator light. The elevator, rudder, and right stabilizer sustained substantial damage. According to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the linkage that attached the tailwheel to the rudder was not attached and could not be found. According to maintenance records, at the time of the accident, the airplane had been operated for about 3,110 total hours and 3 hours since its most recent annual inspection, which was performed about 3 weeks prior to the accident. In addition, the airplane was manufactured in 1958, converted from a tricycle to tailwheel configuration in 1986, and had undergone a complete restoration during the previous 2 years.