- Date
- July 23, 1993, 15:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Arlington, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1XWBucker Flugzeugbau BU-131
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 13, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930723025249A
- Case key
- 41736
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 pilot's improper use of the brakes. The gusty, crosswind was a factor.
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
After touchdown in a gusty crosswind, the pilot began hard braking in order to turn off the runway at the first taxiway. The hard braking, and the side loads exerted on the gear structure in order to maintain directional control during the rapid deceleration, resulted in collapse of the main gear strut.
Factual narrative
On July 23, 1993, at approximately 1530 Pacific daylight time (PDT), a Bucker BU-131, N1XW, experienced a gear collapse during landing roll at Arlington Municipal Airport, Arlington, Washington. The FAA certificated private pilot, who was the sole occupant of the aircraft, was not injured, but the aircraft sustained substantial damage. The local personal pleasure flight, which was being operated in visual meteorological conditions at the time of the accident, had departed the same airport about one-half hour earlier. The aircraft was not on a filed flight plan, and there was no report of an ELT activation.
The pilot said that he made a firm touchdown in about a seven to ten knot gusty crosswind, and then began hard braking in order to exit the runway at the first taxiway. As he was attempting to slow the aircraft, the gear collapsed and folded back under the airframe.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1XW
- Reported as
- Bucker Flugzeugbau BU-131
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 628
- Airframe hours
- 964
- Engine
- Euzalde TIRGE G-IV, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Johnston, G. And Mcausland, R.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 13, 1993 · 3 hours before
- Airport
- S88 · Arlington Municipal, runway 16, 5,333 × 100 ft, concrete
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 64
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 2,644 total · 324 in this make and model · 2,644 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 7 knots, gusting 10
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 52 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.