- Date
- May 9, 2003, 14:15 local (21:15 UTC)
- Place
- Yakima, WA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N147DAAllen SA-300
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 25, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA-FSDO
- FAA report
- 20030509007959A
- Case key
- 56987
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
The NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
Directional control was not maintained during the landing roll. A steering spring disconnected as a result of a tailwheel shimmy was a factor.
Analysis
The pilot reported that he had accomplished about six landings without incident prior to the final landing. During the landing roll, when the tailwheel contacted the surface, a severe vibration was felt. The aircraft immediately weathervaned to the right into the wind. Left rudder control and braking action were not effective and the aircraft subsequently ground looped. Post-accident inspection noted a loss of friction to the tailwheel anti-shimmy clutch. Both steering springs were also disconnected.
Factual narrative
On May 9, 2003, approximately 1415 Pacific daylight time, an experimental Allen Starduster Too SA-300, N147DA, registered to Hawkeye Aviation Inc., operated by the pilot as a 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight, collapsed the landing gear during the landing roll at Yakima Air Terminal, Yakima, Washington. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The private pilot and flight instructor were not injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged.
During a telephone interview, the private pilot reported that the purpose of the flight was to fulfill an insurance requirement for him to accomplish 15 hours of dual instruction in the aircraft. The pilot reported that he had accomplished about six landings without incident prior to the final landing. The pilot stated that during the landing roll on runway 27, when the tailwheel contacted the surface, a severe vibration was felt. The aircraft immediately weathervaned to the right into the wind. Left rudder control and braking action were not effective and the aircraft subsequently ground looped. The left main landing gear collapsed and the left side lower wing contacted the surface.
Post-accident inspection of the aircraft by a Federal Aviation Administration Inspector from the Spokane, Washington, Flight Standards District Office, reported that the rear spar on the lower left side wing was cracked. The inspector also reported that there was a loss of friction to the tailwheel anti-shimmy clutch. Both steering springs were also disconnected.
At 1356 the airport was reporting the winds from 40 degrees at 7 knots.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N147DA
- Reported as
- Allen SA-300
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 2021
- Airframe hours
- 116
- Engine
- Continental W670-6N, 220 hp, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Carlton L. Peterson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 30, 2002 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- YKM · Yakima, WA
- Destination
- YKM
- Airport
- YKM · Yakima Air Terminal, runway 27, 7,603 × 150 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 63
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- March 8, 2003
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 1,637 total · 5 in this make and model · 30 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Injuries
- None
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 40° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Observed at
- YKM
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.