Instructor pilot of maule MX7-420 has steering problem on rollout and loss of aircraft control.

Attributes
ACN	363617
Time
Date	199703
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : gvw
State Reference	MO
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : pdk
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Maule Aircraft Corp Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 6
ASRS Report	363617
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

After a slightly tail first touchdown in a crosswind, the turbine pwred maule MX7-420, the airplane started a slow turn to the left and tried to wxvain into the wind. I took over and tried to keep the airplane straight with right rudder, but with full right rudder and slight braking the airplane tipped over to the right. The right wingtip was damaged and pushed the right aileron inboard which wrinkled the aileron skin close to the right wingtip. Also the sideload turned the right wheel but very slightly. I could still taxi clear of the active runway onto the taxiway. I shut the engine down and secured switches off and had the airplane towed into the hangar for repair. When I inspected the tailwheel I noticed the right spring and attached chain were disconnected which would have prevented me keeping directional control on rollout. I think the cause of this incident was a loose spring and attachment chain which came off on touchdown. I fly a pitts S2B regularly and when we first flew it it had a loose tailwheel attachment. We had it tightened and control on rollout improved. I hope this will help make pilots check for security and tightness of the tailwheel attachment mechanism. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that this was the first turbine engine maule produced and it has had some initial problems. Maule has since extended the landing gear width by 2 ft and increased the aileron width. Both of these things give better ctlability on the ground. The student with whom the reporter was flying is a mechanic and he has been in contact with maule regarding the engine which he works on. He informed the reporter about the changes maule has made on the aircraft. The incident was not a full ground loop but turned about 180 degrees, and the aircraft kind of leaned over. Reporter is a former air carrier pilot but has many hours in tailwheel aircraft. He is concerned that this information regarding the tailwheel be disseminated among tail dragger pilots. When the spring is loose or as in this case broken, there is no control on the ground.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR PLT OF MAULE MX7-420 HAS STEERING PROB ON ROLLOUT AND LOSS OF ACFT CTL.

Narrative: AFTER A SLIGHTLY TAIL FIRST TOUCHDOWN IN A XWIND, THE TURBINE PWRED MAULE MX7-420, THE AIRPLANE STARTED A SLOW TURN TO THE L AND TRIED TO WXVAIN INTO THE WIND. I TOOK OVER AND TRIED TO KEEP THE AIRPLANE STRAIGHT WITH R RUDDER, BUT WITH FULL R RUDDER AND SLIGHT BRAKING THE AIRPLANE TIPPED OVER TO THE R. THE R WINGTIP WAS DAMAGED AND PUSHED THE R AILERON INBOARD WHICH WRINKLED THE AILERON SKIN CLOSE TO THE R WINGTIP. ALSO THE SIDELOAD TURNED THE R WHEEL BUT VERY SLIGHTLY. I COULD STILL TAXI CLR OF THE ACTIVE RWY ONTO THE TXWY. I SHUT THE ENG DOWN AND SECURED SWITCHES OFF AND HAD THE AIRPLANE TOWED INTO THE HANGAR FOR REPAIR. WHEN I INSPECTED THE TAILWHEEL I NOTICED THE R SPRING AND ATTACHED CHAIN WERE DISCONNECTED WHICH WOULD HAVE PREVENTED ME KEEPING DIRECTIONAL CTL ON ROLLOUT. I THINK THE CAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT WAS A LOOSE SPRING AND ATTACHMENT CHAIN WHICH CAME OFF ON TOUCHDOWN. I FLY A PITTS S2B REGULARLY AND WHEN WE FIRST FLEW IT IT HAD A LOOSE TAILWHEEL ATTACHMENT. WE HAD IT TIGHTENED AND CTL ON ROLLOUT IMPROVED. I HOPE THIS WILL HELP MAKE PLTS CHK FOR SECURITY AND TIGHTNESS OF THE TAILWHEEL ATTACHMENT MECHANISM. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST TURBINE ENG MAULE PRODUCED AND IT HAS HAD SOME INITIAL PROBS. MAULE HAS SINCE EXTENDED THE LNDG GEAR WIDTH BY 2 FT AND INCREASED THE AILERON WIDTH. BOTH OF THESE THINGS GIVE BETTER CTLABILITY ON THE GND. THE STUDENT WITH WHOM THE RPTR WAS FLYING IS A MECH AND HE HAS BEEN IN CONTACT WITH MAULE REGARDING THE ENG WHICH HE WORKS ON. HE INFORMED THE RPTR ABOUT THE CHANGES MAULE HAS MADE ON THE ACFT. THE INCIDENT WAS NOT A FULL GND LOOP BUT TURNED ABOUT 180 DEGS, AND THE ACFT KIND OF LEANED OVER. RPTR IS A FORMER ACR PLT BUT HAS MANY HRS IN TAILWHEEL ACFT. HE IS CONCERNED THAT THIS INFO REGARDING THE TAILWHEEL BE DISSEMINATED AMONG TAIL DRAGGER PLTS. WHEN THE SPRING IS LOOSE OR AS IN THIS CASE BROKEN, THERE IS NO CTL ON THE GND.

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.