# NTSB LAX05LA237: Cessna A188B, N731GE, Bishop, CA, July 16, 2005 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: July 16, 2005, 15:40 local (22:40 UTC) - Place: Bishop, CA - Coordinates: 37.373054, -118.363334 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.3731&lon=-118.3633&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report February 26, 2007 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 61994 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=LAX05LA237 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/61994/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX05LA237 ## Probable cause the failure of the tailwheel mount during the landing roll, which resulted in a ground loop. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Airframe/component/system failure/malfunction, landing - roll - landing gear,tailwheel - failure (cause) - Loss of control - on ground/water, landing - roll - directional control - not possible, pilot in command - ground loop/swerve - encountered, pilot in command - On ground/water encounter with terrain/water, landing - roll - terrain condition - runway ## Analysis The tail wheel equipped airplane experienced a failure and separation of the tailwheel during the landing roll, which resulted in a ground loop. The pilot reported that the landing was normal but the airplane began to drift to the right shortly after touching down. He applied left rudder input to correct, but the airplane continued to drift to the right. He applied additional left rudder to no avail and a "violent tail wheel shimmy developed." The pilot reduced aft elevator control in an attempt to reduce the load on the tailwheel, but the shimmy became violent, and he had trouble keeping his feet on the rudder pedals. The pilot then heard a loud bang and the aircraft made a sudden turn to the left. The airplane ground looped and came to rest upright. The Federal Aviation Administration inspector who examined the airplane following the event reported that the tailwheel failed at its mount area but the control cables remained attached to their respective steering horns. ## Factual narrative On July 16, 2005, at 1540 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna A188B, N731GE, ground looped during landing at the Eastern Sierra Regional Airport (BIH), Bishop, California. The airplane was operated by Gudgel's Aero Ag as a 14 CFR Part 91 positioning flight. The airline transport pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan had not been filed for the cross-country flight, which originated from the Flying M Ranch, Yerington, at 1450. According to the pilot's written statement, he made a smooth landing in the tail wheel equipped airplane, but shortly after touchdown, the airplane began to drift to the right. He applied left rudder to correct, but the airplane continued to drift to the right. He applied additional left rudder, to no avail, and a "violent tail wheel shimmy developed." The pilot reduced aft elevator control in an attempt to reduce the load on the tail wheel, but the shimmy became so violent he had trouble keeping his feet on the rudder pedals. The pilot then heard a loud bang and the aircraft made a sudden turn to the left. The shimmy stopped, but the aircraft rolled up on the right wheel with the left wheel up in the air. The pilot then applied full left aileron to keep the right wing from contacting the ground, and right rudder to stop the left turn. He later neutralized the rudder input in an attempt to keep the airplane on the runway. After the airplane turned approximately 240 degrees to the left of its original touchdown heading, the ground loop stopped. According to the pilot, the tail wheel failed, the fuselage was bent forward of the empennage, and the right main landing gear was bent. According to the Federal Aviation Administrator (FAA) inspector who responded to the accident site, the tail wheel mount failed at its attachment area on bottom side of the empennage, which resulted in the tail wheel rotating to the left side coming to rest inverted (mount side down; tire side up). Photographs taken at the accident site revealed that the steering cables remained attached to their respective tail wheel steering horns. On April 5, 2005, the airplane underwent an annual inspection at an airframe total time of 4,644.9 hours, or about 20 hours prior to the accident. At 1556, the BIH weather observation facility reported the weather as: wind variable at 6 knots; visibility 10 statute miles; clear sky; temperature 41 degrees Celsius; dew point 0 degrees Celsius; and altimeter setting of 29.92 inches of mercury. The pilot reported accumulating a total of 26,612 hours of flight time, of which 3.8 were accrued in the accident airplane make and model. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N731GE](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N731GE-2012-05-18), registration cancelled 2012-05-18, S/N 18802878T, built 1977 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna A188B - Registry model: [Cessna A188B](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-a188b) (registry code 2073005) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental IO-520 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-520-series) (registry code 17032, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 18802878T - Airframe hours: 4644.9 - Engines: Continental IO-520-D 300 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Positioning, Part 91 - Registered owner: Gudgel Aero Ag - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Restricted (Special) - Last inspection: Annual, April 1, 2005, 20 hours before - Departed: Yerington, NV - Destination: BIH, Bishop, CA - Airport: BIH, Eastern Sierra Regional, runway 16, 5,600 × 100 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 70; injuries: none; airline transport, flight instructor; airplane ratings: single-engine sea, single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane, helicopter; medical: class 1, with waivers/limitations; last flight review June 1, 2004; seat: single; flight hours: 26,612 total, 4 in this make and model, 24,252 as pilot in command, 82 in the last 90 days, 31 in the last 30 days, 5 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: variable at 6 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 106 °F, dew point 32 °F - Altimeter: 29.92 inHg - Observed at: BIH ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20050716015599A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20050716015599A), Jul 16, 2005: Cessna A188B, Bishop, CA, Substantial damage. (-23) The tail wheel assembly failed in the aft fuselage on landing roll out. The gear assembly rotated 180 degrees. As the aircraft ground looped the fuselage… ## Other investigations on N731GE (2) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB WPR09CA303](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR09CA303), Jun 20, 2009: Cessna A188B (N731GE), Ogden, UT, substantial damage. Probable cause: A partial loss of engine power due to the number one cylinder air induction tube becoming disconnected for undetermined reasons. - [NTSB CHI97LA257](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI97LA257), Aug 14, 1997: Cessna A188B (N731GE), Elwood, NE, substantial damage. Probable cause: the pilot not maintaining clearance from the bushes. Factors contributing to this accident were the pilot's inadequate preparation prior to the takeoff attempt, his changing flap positions during the… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.