# NTSB LAX07CA117: Edwards Wag-A-Bond, N714DE, Jean, NV, March 30, 2007 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: March 30, 2007, 14:10 local (21:10 UTC) - Place: Jean, NV - Coordinates: 35.769443, -115.316665 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.7694&lon=-115.3167&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report June 27, 2007 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 65530 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=LAX07CA117 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/65530/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX07CA117 ## Probable cause the separation of the tail wheel and rudder assembly compression springs that resulted in a loss of directional control during the landing rollout. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - on ground/water, landing - roll - landing gear,steering system - vibration (cause) - landing gear,tailwheel assembly - separation (cause) - directional control - not possible, pilot in command - ground loop/swerve - encountered - On ground/water encounter with terrain/water, landing - roll - terrain condition - runway ## Analysis The aircraft ground looped on landing. After the tail wheel touched down during the landing rollout, it started to violently shimmy. The airplane veered to the right, and eventually ground looped after the pilot attempted to correct back to the runway with the application of the left brake. The pilot found that the compression springs for the tail wheel and rudder steering assembly were intact, but had separated from the empennage, and were found 75 feet from the airplane back along the ground track. The pilot said he had shifted some weight aft within the fuselage for flight test purposes and that this shift may have increased the moment arm and added an element of instability to the tail wheel when it contacted the runway, which allowed it to shimmy and fail. ## Factual narrative On March 30, 2007, at 1410 Pacific daylight time, an experimental amateur built Edwards Wag-A-Bond, N714DE, ground looped during the landing rollout on runway 02L at Jean Airport (0L7), Jean, Nevada. The airline transport pilot/owner/builder operated the personal flight under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local area flight that departed North Las Vegas Airport (VGT), Las Vegas, Nevada, about 1207. No flight plan had been filed. The National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge (IIC) interviewed the pilot. The pilot stated that the airplane was equipped with conventional landing gear. The landing was normal; however, on the lading rollout, as the tail wheel touched the runway surface, it started to "shimmy badly." He was not able to maintain airplane control, and the airplane ground looped. The pilot reported a light right crosswind. In the pilot's written statement, he reported that the airplane had a total airframe time of 7.3 hours. He had been conducting a flight test at the time, and had been flying for about 1.5 hours. He had been planning on doing touch-and-go takeoffs and landings at Jean, and then a full stop landing. No discrepancies were noted with the touch-and-go takeoffs and landings; the landings were done utilizing a "wheel landing technique." On the full stop landing, the pilot reported that the tail wheel touched down at an airspeed of about 30 miles per hour. After the tail wheel contacted the pavement, he noted a "high frequency shimmy," and the airplane swerved to the right. He attempted to correct the direction of travel with the application of the left brake. The airplane pivoted on the right main landing gear, which caused the left main landing gear to fold under the airplane. The left wing tip and propeller struck the runway. The pilot reported a left wheel skid mark on the runway. He also reported that he found the intact compression springs for the tail wheel rudder steering assembly about 75 feet behind where the airplane came to rest, near the runway edge. He also reported that on this flight he had relocated 22 pounds of weight to the aft fuselage station to simulate a center of gravity (CG) condition for flight test purposes. The weight shift remained well within the allowable CG range; however, "taking into consideration the moment arm of the additional weight, it may have caused the tail wheel to initiate an instability when contacting the ground." A Federal Aviation Administration airworthiness inspector examined the airframe and noted that the left forward landing gear bracket had separated at its weld point, but had not become completely detached. The tail wheel showed no evidence of distortion, but was loose at its attachment point. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N714DE](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N714DE-2019-08-27), registration cancelled 2019-08-27, S/N 1465, built 2007 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Edwards Wag-A-Bond - Registry model: [Edwards David L WAG-A-BOND](https://openairdocs.org/model/edwards-david-l-wag-a-bond) (registry code 05621L5) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming O-320-A series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-320-a-series) (registry code 42395, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane, amateur-built - Serial number: 1465 - Airframe hours: 7.3 - Engines: Lycoming O-320A 150 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: David L. Edwards - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: Condition, February 1, 2007, 7.3 hours before - Departed: VGT, N. Las Vegas, NV - Destination: 0L7, Jean, NV - Airport: 0L7, Jean, runway 02L, 4,600 × 75 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 63; injuries: none; flight engineer, airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3; last flight review June 1, 2005; seat: left; flight hours: 22,931 total, 7 in this make and model, 20,100 as pilot in command, 7 in the last 90 days, 3 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: variable at 4 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 68 °F, dew point 18 °F - Altimeter: 30.10 inHg - Observed at: LAS, 21 nm away ## 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 20070330005199A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20070330005199A), Mar 30, 2007: Amtr WAGABOND, Jean, NV, Substantial damage. (-23) During a landing at Jean Airport, NV, this homebuilt airplane experienced a ground loop that caused the left landing gear to collapse and damage to 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.