- Date
- June 26, 1982, 13:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Llano, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N6441KDowner Aircraft Industries Republic RC-3
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 26, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820626051399A
- Case key
- 71459
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 pilot was on a test flight to check the engine in the amphibious aircraft. As the landing gear was being lowered to land at the airport, a "pop" was heard. Reportedly, the noise occurred when the clevis on the rod end of the retract/extend cylinder failed. The pilot reported that the gear would not retract or extend, but was swinging freely in a trail position. He elected to make a water landing. Thinking the gear would trail behind. Reportedly, the aircraft bounced on its first touchdown. The pilot stated that the wheels were knocked back hard, then bounced fully forward and locked. Subsequently, the aircraft flipped forward onto its back.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6441K
- Reported as
- Downer Aircraft Industries Republic RC-3 (REPUBLIC R)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 691
- Airframe hours
- 700
- Engine
- Franklin 6A, 215 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- David C. Herr
- Registered owner
- David C. Herr
- Departed
- Llano, TX
- Destination
- Llano, TX
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
- 64
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 18,550 total · 13 in this make and model · 17,932 as pilot in command · 45 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N6441K · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.