- Date
- April 11, 2000, 15:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Daytona Beach, FL
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N27235Walden A. Cooper Pitts S1S
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 4, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20000411007579A
- Case key
- 49016
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
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Probable cause
Collapse of the tail wheel to the right during landing rollout when the forward attach bolt sheared for undetermined reasons. This resulted in the aircraft's rudder deflecting to the right, the pilot losing directional control, and the aircraft running off the runway and colliding with a hangar.
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 stated the landing on runway 5 was normal and during landing rollout, the rudder suddenly went full to the right and the aircraft veered to the right. He could not regain control and the aircraft went off the runway and collided with a hangar. Post crash examination of the aircraft by an FAA inspector showed the forward tail wheel attach bolt had sheared and the tail wheel had collapsed to the right and deflected the rudder to the right. The remains of the sheared bolt could not be removed and was not retained for further examination.
Factual narrative
On April 11, 2000, about 1530 eastern daylight time, a Cooper Pitts S1S, N27235, registered to a private individual, went off the runway and collided with a hangar during landing at Spruce Creek Airport, Daytona Beach, Florida, while on a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft received substantial damage and the commercial-rated pilot was not injured. The flight originated from Fernandina Beach, Florida, the same day, about 1445.
The pilot stated the landing on runway 4 was normal. During landing rollout, the rudder suddenly went full to the right and the aircraft immediately turned to the right and went off the runway. He was unable to regain directional control and the aircraft collided with a hangar. His postcrash examination of the aircraft showed the forward tail wheel attach bolt had broken and the tail wheel had collapsed to the right and jammed the rudder to the right.
The NTSB was not notified of the accident until April 21, 2000. The aircraft was examined by an FAA inspector after the accident. The inspector could not remove the remains of the failed bolt from the tail wheel and it was not retained for further examination.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N27235
- Reported as
- Walden A. Cooper Pitts S1S
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- P-796-WC
- Airframe hours
- 1,600
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Thomas E. Sutphin
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 15, 1999
- Departed
- 55J · Fernandina Bch., FL
- Airport
- 44J · Spruce Creek, runway 5, 4,000 × 100 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 47
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 784 total · 58 in this make and model · 784 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DAB, 6 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.