- Date
- April 28, 2006, 08:05 local (12:05 UTC)
- Place
- Merritt Island, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N95462Howard DGA-15P
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 29, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20060428006539A
- Case key
- 63586
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 failure of the pilot to comply with the before landing checklist for his failure to lock the tailwheel.
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 that he failed to lock the tailwheel for takeoff due to his discontinuation of the checklist to see if the baggage door was secured. The flight departed and proceeded to the destination airport where he landed on runway 29 due to the wind direction. During the landing roll the airplane veered to the right which he attempted to correct with left rudder and brake input but was unsuccessful. The airplane departed the right side of the runway causing substantial damage to the airplane. The pilot further stated he also failed to lock the tailwheel in anticipation of landing.
Factual narrative
On April 28, 2006, about 0800 eastern daylight time, a Howard Aircraft Corporation DGA-15P, N95462, registered to and operated by a private individual, experienced a loss of directional control during the landing roll at Merritt Island Airport, Merritt Island, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight from Naked Lady Ranch Airport, Stuart, Florida, to Merritt Island Airport. The airplane was substantially damaged and the private-rated pilot and one passenger were not injured. The flight originated about 0715, from Naked Lady Ranch Airport.
The pilot stated that he failed to lock the tailwheel for takeoff due to his discontinuation of the checklist to see if the baggage door was secured. The flight departed and proceeded to the destination airport where he landed on runway 29 due to the wind direction. During the landing roll the airplane veered to the right which he attempted to correct with left rudder and brake input but was unsuccessful. The airplane departed the right side of the runway causing substantial damage to the airplane. The pilot further stated he also failed to lock the tailwheel in anticipation of landing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N95462
- Reported as
- Howard DGA-15P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 771
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney R-985, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- William C. Dannecker
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Departed
- 64FA · Palm City, FL
- Destination
- KCOI · Merritt Island, FL
- Airport
- KCOI · Merritt Island Airport, runway 29
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
- 62
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Flight hours
- 4,500 total · 228 in this make and model · 13 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.