- Date
- March 26, 2018, 10:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Tucson, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5606TAnderson Darrell L Starduster TOO
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Landing gear collapse
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 10, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- Case key
- 96937
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 failure of the left main landing gear axle weld during the landing roll.
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
The pilot in the experimental amateur-built, tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that this was his third test flight. During the landing roll, he heard a loud noise, and the left side of the airplane dropped. The airplane veered to the left and exited the left side of the runway. The left side of the airplane dug into the ground and the airplane nosed over. The FAA aviation safety inspector who examined the airplane reported that the left main landing gear axle weld had failed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer, the rudder, and the right upper wing spar.
Factual narrative
The pilot in the experimental amateur-built, tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that this was his third test flight. During the landing roll, he heard a loud noise, and the left side of the airplane dropped. The airplane veered to the left and exited the left side of the runway. The left side of the airplane dug into the ground and the airplane nosed over. The FAA Aviation Safety Inspector that examined the airplane reported that the left main landing gear axle weld had failed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer, the rudder and right upper wing spar.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5606T
- Reported as
- Anderson Darrell L Starduster TOO (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 001
- Built
- 2017
- Airframe hours
- 2
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-AED, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · January 23, 2018
- Departed
- RYN · Tucson, AZ
- Destination
- RYN · Tucson, AZ
- Airport
- RYN · Ryan Field, runway 06L, 4,900 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- None
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
- 83
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- BasicMed
- Last flight review
- September 19, 2017
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 9,166 total · 2 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.06 inHg
- Observed at
- KRYN, 1 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 12, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.9 MB in all.