 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Pilot of a pitts S-2B lost directional control during landing roll resulting in the aircraft going off the side of the runway and gndlooping. The right landing gear collapsed, but there were no injuries.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 336483 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199605 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : bjc |
| State Reference | CO |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Amateur (Home) Built |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | landing other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 577 flight time type : 397 |
| ASRS Report | 336483 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | observation : passenger |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other anomaly other other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | faa : investigated other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
After landing on runway 11L (bjc) plane had a normal rollout in progress. Touchdown was approximately 70 mph. At approximately 40-50 mph during the rollout, the plane started to veer to the left, not an unusual occurrence for a pitts. When I put in some right rudder pedal input to correct the veer with the steerable tailwheel, I got no response. More input resulted in no response. Plane went off the runway at about a 30 degree angle into the grass, down a ditch and up the ditch and then gndlooped. It stopped next to the taxiway a, pointed 180 degrees from the landing direction. Neither the pilot nor the passenger were injured. The right main gear collapsed and the tailwheel assembly tore away from the plane. I believe the tailwheel mechanism had a malfunction and this caused the incident. (The FAA has classified this as an incident.) the tailwheel assembly was so badly damaged that root cause of the problem couldn't be determined. Wind was 120 degrees at 7 KTS so it was no factor in the incident.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PLT OF A PITTS S-2B LOST DIRECTIONAL CTL DURING LNDG ROLL RESULTING IN THE ACFT GOING OFF THE SIDE OF THE RWY AND GNDLOOPING. THE R LNDG GEAR COLLAPSED, BUT THERE WERE NO INJURIES.
Narrative: AFTER LNDG ON RWY 11L (BJC) PLANE HAD A NORMAL ROLLOUT IN PROGRESS. TOUCHDOWN WAS APPROX 70 MPH. AT APPROX 40-50 MPH DURING THE ROLLOUT, THE PLANE STARTED TO VEER TO THE L, NOT AN UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE FOR A PITTS. WHEN I PUT IN SOME R RUDDER PEDAL INPUT TO CORRECT THE VEER WITH THE STEERABLE TAILWHEEL, I GOT NO RESPONSE. MORE INPUT RESULTED IN NO RESPONSE. PLANE WENT OFF THE RWY AT ABOUT A 30 DEG ANGLE INTO THE GRASS, DOWN A DITCH AND UP THE DITCH AND THEN GNDLOOPED. IT STOPPED NEXT TO THE TXWY A, POINTED 180 DEGS FROM THE LNDG DIRECTION. NEITHER THE PLT NOR THE PAX WERE INJURED. THE R MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED AND THE TAILWHEEL ASSEMBLY TORE AWAY FROM THE PLANE. I BELIEVE THE TAILWHEEL MECHANISM HAD A MALFUNCTION AND THIS CAUSED THE INCIDENT. (THE FAA HAS CLASSIFIED THIS AS AN INCIDENT.) THE TAILWHEEL ASSEMBLY WAS SO BADLY DAMAGED THAT ROOT CAUSE OF THE PROB COULDN'T BE DETERMINED. WIND WAS 120 DEGS AT 7 KTS SO IT WAS NO FACTOR IN THE INCIDENT.
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.