- Date
- May 30, 1994, 15:13 local (22:13 UTC)
- Place
- San Jose, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N847WPerth Amboy Bird BK
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 7, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940530012949A
- Case key
- 28749
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 separation of the right main landing gear axle from the gear strut for undetermined reasons related to component age.
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 reported that the touchdown on runway 31 right was normal. After a short ground roll, the right main wheel and axle separated from the landing gear strut and the airplane subsequently nosed over. The pilot said that to the best of her knowledge the gear struts and axles are original equipment items on the 1929 year model biplane. The mode of axle failure was not determined.
Factual narrative
On May 30, 1994, at 1513 Pacific daylight time, an antique Perth Amboy Bird BK airplane, N847W, nosed over following the failure of the right main landing gear during landing at the Reid Hillview airport, San Jose, California. The aircraft was owned and operated by the pilot and was on a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the operation. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. The certificate airline transport pilot, the sole occupant, incurred minor injuries. The flight originated at the Watsonville, California, airport on the day of the mishap at 1440 hours as a cross-country flight to San Jose.
In a telephone interview, the pilot reported that the touchdown on runway 31 right was normal. After a short ground roll, the right main wheel and axle separated from the landing gear strut and the airplane subsequently nosed over. The pilot said that to the best of her knowledge the gear struts and axles are original equipment items on the 1929 year model biplane.
The separated axle component was not supplied to the Safety Board for examination.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N847W
- Reported as
- Perth Amboy Bird BK
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2049-29
- Airframe hours
- 1,532
- Engine
- Kinner K5, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Amelia C. Reid
- Registered owner
- Robert & Amelia Reid
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Provisional (Special); Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 1, 1993 · 25 hours before
- Departed
- WVI · Watsonville, CA
- Destination
- RHV
- Airport
- RHV · Reid-Hillview, runway 31R, 3,100 × 75 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
- 69
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 42,000 total · 500 in this make and model · 41,000 as pilot in command · 300 in the last 90 days · 100 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RHV
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.