- Date
- February 24, 2013, 16:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Rupert, GA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N558JBucker Jungmann Casa 1.31
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 23, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20130224002679A
- Case key
- 86314
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 fracture of the left main landing gear axle, which resulted in a loss of control during landing.
Findings · 1
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
During the landing roll on a turf runway, the airplane's left main landing gear axle fractured, and the left landing gear wheel assembly departed the airframe. The airplane veered to the left, and the remaining portion of the left landing gear collapsed. The propeller and the lower left and right wings contacted the runway and were substantially damaged. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that a crack had propagated through a manufacturer-welded area near the wheel assembly. The airplane was manufactured in 1961. It had been operated for about 760 total hours since new and 7 hours since its most recent condition inspection, which was performed about 11 months before the accident. A search of the Federal Aviation Administration service difficulty report database for the accident airplane make and model did not reveal any previous similar landing gear failures.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the certificated experimental exhibition category bi-plane was landing on a private turf runway. During the landing rollout, the airplane's left main landing gear axle fractured and the left landing gear wheel assembly departed the airframe. The airplane veered to the left and the remaining portion of the left landing gear collapsed. The propeller, and the lower left and right wings contacted the runway, and were substantially damaged. Postaccident inspection of the airplane revealed a crack that had propagated through a manufacturer welded area near the wheel assembly. The airplane was manufactured in 1961. It had been operated for about 760 total hours since new, and 7 hours since its most recent condition inspection, which was performed about 11 months prior. A search of the Federal Aviation Administration service difficult reports database for the accident airplane make and model did not reveal any previous similar landing gear failures.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N558J
- Reported as
- Bucker Jungmann Casa 1.31
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- E3B-558
- Airframe hours
- 762
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E3D, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Thomas Muller, Jr.
- Registered owner
- Red Baron Aviation Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · March 11, 2012 · 7 hours before
- Departed
- NONE · Rupert, GA
- Destination
- NONE · Rupert, GA
- Airport
- NONE · Private, runway 10, 3,000 × 100 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
- 23
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 5, 2012
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 520 total · 305 in this make and model · 8 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 154 °F, dew point 86 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- MCN, 40 nm away
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 15, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.0 MB 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.