- Date
- September 13, 1998, 18:57 local (22:57 UTC)
- Place
- Oxford, CT
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7236KPiper PA-18-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 7, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980913023779A
- Case key
- 43941
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 inability to maintain directional control during the landing roll due to separation of the tailwheel spring assembly.
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 said he made a three point landing, and during the landing roll the aircraft drastically veered to the right. He said he tried to correct with power, but the aircraft impacted a brushy area veered off the right side of the runway down an embankment. Examination of the tailwheel revealed the right side tailwheel rudder spring was missing, while the left side was hanging and not connected. According to the airplane log books, the last annual inspection was completed on September 28, 1997. The airplane had accumulated over 6.5 hours since it was rebuilt in September 1997. Prior to the inspection, the last entry in the log book was dated in 1981.
Factual narrative
On September 13, 1998, at 1857 eastern daylight time, N7236K, a Piper PA-18-150, was substantially damaged when it collided with terrain during landing on runway 36 at the Waterbury-Oxford Airport, Oxford, Connecticut. The certificated private pilot and passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed. The local, personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the pilot, "...a three point landing was made-airspeed and flare appeared normal, wind was calm from the north...At touchdown and thereafter aircraft drastically veered to the right. [I] tried to correct with power but aircraft impacted a brushy area... ."
The airplane was examined at the accident site by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector. The examination included the brakes and the flight controls and no anomalies were noted. Examination of the tailwheel revealed the right side tailwheel rudder spring was missing, while the left side was hanging and not connected. The right main gear forward strut was found broken near the forward attach point.
The right main strut forward fitting was sent to the NTSB Laboratory for examination. According to the NTSB Metallurgist, visual examination of the fitting fracture revealed features consistent with tensile shear overstress. No indications of preexisting cracking, significant corrosion or weld discontinuities were observed.
According to the airplane log books, the last annual inspection was completed on September 28, 1997. The airplane had accumulated over 6.5 hours since it was rebuilt in September 1997. Prior to the inspection, the last entry in the log book was dated in 1981.
The pilot reported over 233 hours of total flight experience which included 40 hours in tailwheeled airplanes, and 20 hours in make and model.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7236K
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-127
- Airframe hours
- 2,445
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Robert T. Wislocky
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 28, 1997 · 7 hours before
- Departed
- OXC
- Airport
- OXC · Waterbury-Oxford, runway 36, 5,000 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- 49
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 233 total · 20 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- OXC
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.