Narrative:

My partners and I also have a 1929 davis D1K which pilot a flew along with us. We saw something was going on at goodspeed airport (42B), so we went down for a landing on runway 14 to see what was going on. I landed first with a slight bounce, but no problem, then turned left after a short rollout to back-taxi on the grass behind the runway lights. Looking back at the approach end of runway 14, I saw pilot a in the davis knock off the right landing gear on an 8 inch diameter unmarked post. The unmarked post was 24 inches tall 17 ft off the end of the runway. The unmarked post is in line with runway centerline. It's a hazard to navigation and flight safety. After striking the post, the davis rolled over on its back. I continued to taxi to the parking area in my piper, I was rather upset from what I just saw and I hit a runway light with my piper. I stopped the aircraft at the light and looked for damage and saw no damage of any kind. The light being 20 ft off the edge of the runway, I left my aircraft there by the runway light and walked over to see how a and his passenger, B, were doing. No one was hurt and we decided that I would go home, which is 3b9 in the piper and get my wagon, some tools, and a trailer. Walking back to the piper, I told C what happened and we looked again for damage. Not seeing any damage on the belly or tail surfaces, I had B give a proper start the engine and C and I flew back to 3b9. I looked the plane over again and I did find a bit of chipped paint on the r-hand leading edge of the horizontal stabilizer about 1 ft in from the tip. Nothing major. Later, I looked at the light I hit and saw a small chip of yellow paint on the lens. When I got back to 42B with the wagon and trailer, a mr X, FAA aviation safety inspector (operations) from GADO 3 office, got all over me for leaving the scene of an accident without proper inspection of my aircraft. I am an a&P of 48 yrs, I was an ia for 27 yrs until I got too old, 65 yrs old is too old according to mr Y of flight standards district office 3. He said I was too old to be an ia and pulled my license. That was mar/92. With that maintenance backgnd, I should be able to tell if my aircraft was airworthy or not. That should be proper inspection enough. I assumed. I'm afraid I haven't heard the last of mr X, FAA aviation safety inspector (operations). He also has me for noncompliance to far part 45.11 subpart B paragraph (D) and part 91.9, 91.207(a). He is a very good inspector. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter is a 67 yr old man who has been a designated airman, pilot, a&P mechanic and authority/authorized inspector since 1946. He was the person that donated and installed runway lights at 42B. He believes that he has done nothing to warrant the treatment that he is getting from the local FAA. True, hit and broke a runway light, but did not damage his aircraft. An operations inspector asked him to give up his medical certificate, which, in effect, negates his pilot's license. An letter of investigation is on the way to the reporter. The inspector feels that the trauma of seeing his other aircraft over on its back was too much for this 'old' man. There is a row of posts across the end of the runway. The posts are sections of telephone poles that are natural wood in color and are not marked in any way. The runway is situated slightly higher than the ground off the end and there is often a 'sinker' when approaching the runway. This was the case on the day in question. The reporter has rebuilt the davis 3 times, but he doesn't know if he will do it again. The reporter has had to hire an aviation attorney in the case. The attorney has sent some supporting documents in his aid. Supplemental information from acn 271792: on may/X/94 at approximately XA45 hours, I departed the chester airport in a 1929 davis, model D1K, a single engine, 2 place, open cockpit parasol airplane. I carried a non-revenue passenger in the front cockpit. I flew directly from chester airport to windham, ct, airport, where I landed at approximately XB15 hours. At approximately XC15 hours, we departed windham airport. We generally followed the other aircraft, a piper J-3, heading west towards chester. At approximately XC45HRS we were in the goodspeed airport area in the town of east haddam, ct. The pilot of the other aircraft and I had previously discussed the possibility of stopping at goodspeed to investigate a gathering of aircraft. As we approached the goodspeed airport, the J-3 began a wide, circling descent to land runway 14. I stayed wide, slowing to give the J-3 time to complete its landing before I turned onto base leg. Turning onto final for runway 14, I check surrounding airspace and my instruments and all was normal. Clearing the north boundary of the airport, which is the ct river, at an altitude estimated to be 3 ft, I felt a violent bump to the right landing gear, which caused the aircraft to yaw to the right. I applied left rudder, the touchdown was in a 3 point attitude, but at a slight angle to the runway centerline. The right wing dropped as the right main gear folded back, dragging the wingtip. The airplane skidded to the right off the pavement and onto the grass. As the plane slowed the nose came down, the cowling air scoop dug into the sod and the aircraft flipped over. Neither myself or the passenger suffered any injury. We were both wearing lap belts and shoulder harnesses. During the last few seconds of skidding I opened the master switch and jammed the stick full left. The passenger braced by pushing with both hands on the underside of the parasol wing center section. Exiting from the aircraft was quick and without mishap. Investigation of the physical evidence surrounding this accident disclosed that both main gear first contacted the sod about 6 ft before the start of the paved runway and some 20 ft south of the post which was struck. Close scrutiny revealed evidence of perhaps 3 inches at the bottom of the curvature of the right tire impacted on the top of the 8 inch diameter post. This post, one of a series of such posts which demarcate the boundary between the airport and a dirt roadway running parallel with the river bank, appeared to be a section of a utility pole buried about 3 ft into the sandy soil, and extending about 2 ft above local ground level. I have flown into the goodspeed airport many times. I have been generally aware of the changes to the facilities at goodspeed, but had never recognized the hazard to a low approach presented by this row of poles. I suspect that their purpose is to keep automotive traffic off the airport. However, being unmarked and not the subject of a general warning as to their existence, they most definitely present a hazard to the unsuspecting landing aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A SMA PLT BROKE A RWY LIGHT WHILE TAXIING.

Narrative: MY PARTNERS AND I ALSO HAVE A 1929 DAVIS D1K WHICH PLT A FLEW ALONG WITH US. WE SAW SOMETHING WAS GOING ON AT GOODSPEED ARPT (42B), SO WE WENT DOWN FOR A LNDG ON RWY 14 TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON. I LANDED FIRST WITH A SLIGHT BOUNCE, BUT NO PROB, THEN TURNED L AFTER A SHORT ROLLOUT TO BACK-TAXI ON THE GRASS BEHIND THE RWY LIGHTS. LOOKING BACK AT THE APCH END OF RWY 14, I SAW PLT A IN THE DAVIS KNOCK OFF THE R LNDG GEAR ON AN 8 INCH DIAMETER UNMARKED POST. THE UNMARKED POST WAS 24 INCHES TALL 17 FT OFF THE END OF THE RWY. THE UNMARKED POST IS IN LINE WITH RWY CTRLINE. IT'S A HAZARD TO NAV AND FLT SAFETY. AFTER STRIKING THE POST, THE DAVIS ROLLED OVER ON ITS BACK. I CONTINUED TO TAXI TO THE PARKING AREA IN MY PIPER, I WAS RATHER UPSET FROM WHAT I JUST SAW AND I HIT A RWY LIGHT WITH MY PIPER. I STOPPED THE ACFT AT THE LIGHT AND LOOKED FOR DAMAGE AND SAW NO DAMAGE OF ANY KIND. THE LIGHT BEING 20 FT OFF THE EDGE OF THE RWY, I LEFT MY ACFT THERE BY THE RWY LIGHT AND WALKED OVER TO SEE HOW A AND HIS PAX, B, WERE DOING. NO ONE WAS HURT AND WE DECIDED THAT I WOULD GO HOME, WHICH IS 3B9 IN THE PIPER AND GET MY WAGON, SOME TOOLS, AND A TRAILER. WALKING BACK TO THE PIPER, I TOLD C WHAT HAPPENED AND WE LOOKED AGAIN FOR DAMAGE. NOT SEEING ANY DAMAGE ON THE BELLY OR TAIL SURFACES, I HAD B GIVE A PROPER START THE ENG AND C AND I FLEW BACK TO 3B9. I LOOKED THE PLANE OVER AGAIN AND I DID FIND A BIT OF CHIPPED PAINT ON THE R-HAND LEADING EDGE OF THE HORIZ STABILIZER ABOUT 1 FT IN FROM THE TIP. NOTHING MAJOR. LATER, I LOOKED AT THE LIGHT I HIT AND SAW A SMALL CHIP OF YELLOW PAINT ON THE LENS. WHEN I GOT BACK TO 42B WITH THE WAGON AND TRAILER, A MR X, FAA AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTOR (OPS) FROM GADO 3 OFFICE, GOT ALL OVER ME FOR LEAVING THE SCENE OF AN ACCIDENT WITHOUT PROPER INSPECTION OF MY ACFT. I AM AN A&P OF 48 YRS, I WAS AN IA FOR 27 YRS UNTIL I GOT TOO OLD, 65 YRS OLD IS TOO OLD ACCORDING TO MR Y OF FLT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE 3. HE SAID I WAS TOO OLD TO BE AN IA AND PULLED MY LICENSE. THAT WAS MAR/92. WITH THAT MAINT BACKGND, I SHOULD BE ABLE TO TELL IF MY ACFT WAS AIRWORTHY OR NOT. THAT SHOULD BE PROPER INSPECTION ENOUGH. I ASSUMED. I'M AFRAID I HAVEN'T HEARD THE LAST OF MR X, FAA AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTOR (OPS). HE ALSO HAS ME FOR NONCOMPLIANCE TO FAR PART 45.11 SUBPART B PARAGRAPH (D) AND PART 91.9, 91.207(A). HE IS A VERY GOOD INSPECTOR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR IS A 67 YR OLD MAN WHO HAS BEEN A DESIGNATED AIRMAN, PLT, A&P MECH AND AUTH INSPECTOR SINCE 1946. HE WAS THE PERSON THAT DONATED AND INSTALLED RWY LIGHTS AT 42B. HE BELIEVES THAT HE HAS DONE NOTHING TO WARRANT THE TREATMENT THAT HE IS GETTING FROM THE LCL FAA. TRUE, HIT AND BROKE A RWY LIGHT, BUT DID NOT DAMAGE HIS ACFT. AN OPS INSPECTOR ASKED HIM TO GIVE UP HIS MEDICAL CERTIFICATE, WHICH, IN EFFECT, NEGATES HIS PLT'S LICENSE. AN LETTER OF INVESTIGATION IS ON THE WAY TO THE RPTR. THE INSPECTOR FEELS THAT THE TRAUMA OF SEEING HIS OTHER ACFT OVER ON ITS BACK WAS TOO MUCH FOR THIS 'OLD' MAN. THERE IS A ROW OF POSTS ACROSS THE END OF THE RWY. THE POSTS ARE SECTIONS OF TELEPHONE POLES THAT ARE NATURAL WOOD IN COLOR AND ARE NOT MARKED IN ANY WAY. THE RWY IS SITUATED SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN THE GND OFF THE END AND THERE IS OFTEN A 'SINKER' WHEN APCHING THE RWY. THIS WAS THE CASE ON THE DAY IN QUESTION. THE RPTR HAS REBUILT THE DAVIS 3 TIMES, BUT HE DOESN'T KNOW IF HE WILL DO IT AGAIN. THE RPTR HAS HAD TO HIRE AN AVIATION ATTORNEY IN THE CASE. THE ATTORNEY HAS SENT SOME SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS IN HIS AID. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 271792: ON MAY/X/94 AT APPROX XA45 HRS, I DEPARTED THE CHESTER ARPT IN A 1929 DAVIS, MODEL D1K, A SINGLE ENG, 2 PLACE, OPEN COCKPIT PARASOL AIRPLANE. I CARRIED A NON-REVENUE PAX IN THE FRONT COCKPIT. I FLEW DIRECTLY FROM CHESTER ARPT TO WINDHAM, CT, ARPT, WHERE I LANDED AT APPROX XB15 HRS. AT APPROX XC15 HRS, WE DEPARTED WINDHAM ARPT. WE GENERALLY FOLLOWED THE OTHER ACFT, A PIPER J-3, HDG W TOWARDS CHESTER. AT APPROX XC45HRS WE WERE IN THE GOODSPEED ARPT AREA IN THE TOWN OF E HADDAM, CT. THE PLT OF THE OTHER ACFT AND I HAD PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED THE POSSIBILITY OF STOPPING AT GOODSPEED TO INVESTIGATE A GATHERING OF ACFT. AS WE APCHED THE GOODSPEED ARPT, THE J-3 BEGAN A WIDE, CIRCLING DSCNT TO LAND RWY 14. I STAYED WIDE, SLOWING TO GIVE THE J-3 TIME TO COMPLETE ITS LNDG BEFORE I TURNED ONTO BASE LEG. TURNING ONTO FINAL FOR RWY 14, I CHK SURROUNDING AIRSPACE AND MY INSTS AND ALL WAS NORMAL. CLRING THE N BOUNDARY OF THE ARPT, WHICH IS THE CT RIVER, AT AN ALT ESTIMATED TO BE 3 FT, I FELT A VIOLENT BUMP TO THE R LNDG GEAR, WHICH CAUSED THE ACFT TO YAW TO THE R. I APPLIED L RUDDER, THE TOUCHDOWN WAS IN A 3 POINT ATTITUDE, BUT AT A SLIGHT ANGLE TO THE RWY CTRLINE. THE R WING DROPPED AS THE R MAIN GEAR FOLDED BACK, DRAGGING THE WINGTIP. THE AIRPLANE SKIDDED TO THE R OFF THE PAVEMENT AND ONTO THE GRASS. AS THE PLANE SLOWED THE NOSE CAME DOWN, THE COWLING AIR SCOOP DUG INTO THE SOD AND THE ACFT FLIPPED OVER. NEITHER MYSELF OR THE PAX SUFFERED ANY INJURY. WE WERE BOTH WEARING LAP BELTS AND SHOULDER HARNESSES. DURING THE LAST FEW SECONDS OF SKIDDING I OPENED THE MASTER SWITCH AND JAMMED THE STICK FULL L. THE PAX BRACED BY PUSHING WITH BOTH HANDS ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE PARASOL WING CTR SECTION. EXITING FROM THE ACFT WAS QUICK AND WITHOUT MISHAP. INVESTIGATION OF THE PHYSICAL EVIDENCE SURROUNDING THIS ACCIDENT DISCLOSED THAT BOTH MAIN GEAR FIRST CONTACTED THE SOD ABOUT 6 FT BEFORE THE START OF THE PAVED RWY AND SOME 20 FT S OF THE POST WHICH WAS STRUCK. CLOSE SCRUTINY REVEALED EVIDENCE OF PERHAPS 3 INCHES AT THE BOTTOM OF THE CURVATURE OF THE R TIRE IMPACTED ON THE TOP OF THE 8 INCH DIAMETER POST. THIS POST, ONE OF A SERIES OF SUCH POSTS WHICH DEMARCATE THE BOUNDARY BTWN THE ARPT AND A DIRT ROADWAY RUNNING PARALLEL WITH THE RIVER BANK, APPEARED TO BE A SECTION OF A UTILITY POLE BURIED ABOUT 3 FT INTO THE SANDY SOIL, AND EXTENDING ABOUT 2 FT ABOVE LCL GND LEVEL. I HAVE FLOWN INTO THE GOODSPEED ARPT MANY TIMES. I HAVE BEEN GENERALLY AWARE OF THE CHANGES TO THE FACILITIES AT GOODSPEED, BUT HAD NEVER RECOGNIZED THE HAZARD TO A LOW APCH PRESENTED BY THIS ROW OF POLES. I SUSPECT THAT THEIR PURPOSE IS TO KEEP AUTOMOTIVE TFC OFF THE ARPT. HOWEVER, BEING UNMARKED AND NOT THE SUBJECT OF A GENERAL WARNING AS TO THEIR EXISTENCE, THEY MOST DEFINITELY PRESENT A HAZARD TO THE UNSUSPECTING LNDG ACFT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.