While landing on runway 3, the airplane’s right wing contacted the runway and the airplane landed hard. A weather observation reported at an airport about 18 miles northeast of the accident site, included winds from 320 degrees at 13 knots. The pilot further reported that he conducted an uneventful flight an hour prior to the accident, with the same wind conditions.
Category: Loss of Aircraft Control
The pilot landed long beyond his intended touchdown point. He delayed his decision to initiate a go-around. The airplane struck trees at the end of the runway.
On the fourth parachute drop flight of the day for the pilot and aircraft, the pilot detected a reduction in elevator control authority on takeoff. He elected to continue the takeoff and climbed to 3,500 feet agl, where he released the two parachutists. On return to the airport, he used power to control his flare, but landed hard and began a porpoise maneuver.
Prior to the day of the accident, the pilot had not flown out of the airstrip. During takeoff, the airplane traveled over a ‘soft spot’, and began to veer to the left. The pilot was unable to correct the turn, the airplane went off the left side of the runway and struck a tree. The runway was 1,515 feet long, 110 feet wide, and consisted of soft turf. Review of the pilot’s weight and balance calculations revealed that the airplane was approximately 300 pounds over the maximum gross takeoff weight.
During its takeoff roll from a sod runway, the airplane’s pilot said a deer was running toward the airplane from its right side. The pilot said she ‘…throttled back and hit the brakes…[and the airplane] ground looped.’ Ground scars on the runway confirmed that the airplane made a left-hand, 180 degree turn that resulted in a collapsed right main landing gear and the outboard half of the right wing was bent upward about 20 degrees.
Witnesses reported that the single-engine airplane’s takeoff and climb appeared to be normal. As the airplane climbed through 400 feet, a puff of black smoke was observed emanating from the right side of the engine compartment. The airplane nosed up slightly, then nosed down turning about 360 degrees before descending rapidly from view.
The pilot reported that after takeoff he saw an approaching thunderstorm and returned to the airport to land on runway 21. The pilot stated that when he arrived at the airport there was a 90-degree crosswind. He estimated that the wind was 120 degrees at 25 knots, with 5-10 knot gusts. The pilot further reported that as the airplane touched down, ‘a gust of wind kept the wheels from settling so I could not brake effectively,’ and the aircraft ran off the end of the 3,000-foot-long runway and impacted a fence and a ditch.
The airplane impacted the terrain approximately 2,065 feet south of the departure end of runway 22. Damage to the cockpit section of the wreckage indicated a nose down crush angle of approximately 80 degrees. The wreckage path was on a 208 degree heading, and the distance from the initial impact to the location of the empennage was about 142 feet. The cockpit and cabin were destroyed by post impact fire.
The pilot said he was landing on runway 25 and encountered a dust devil on touchdown. The airplane veered off the runway and into the dirt area beside the pavement, collapsing the right main landing gear.
The pilot stated that after four parachutists had boarded the airplane, he began to taxi away from the gate. The pilot stated that the airplane traveled about 25 yards on the upward sloping grass terrain when the right main landing gear collapsed. Examination of the landing gear revealed a break approximately 10 inches from the inboard end of the landing gear leg at a point where it is clamped to the fuselage structure.
The pilot stated that the airplane was loaded to the maximum gross weight. He said that on the takeoff roll the airplane did not appear to accelerate, and he anticipated a liftoff speed of 60 to 65 knots. He said he then attempted to stop the airplane; however the brakes locked on the wet grass and the airplane exited the runway at the end and crossed a road before coming to a stop.
The pilot was delivering an airplane to a new airstrip. He had been driven to the airstrip to inspect it before the first landing. While landing to the south during the airstrip’s inaugural landing, the pilot lined up to land on the east side of the new runway, and the airplane touched down on an unimproved portion of the airstrip.
Witnesses reported that immediately after the airplane took off, it went into a left turn, and that its nose then dropped and it impacted the ground at a steep angle. No evidence of preimpact conditions interfering with normal operation was found during on-site examination or in follow-up examinations of the airplane’s engine, propeller, and carburetor.
On returning to land, following dropping a load of skydivers, the pilot failed to reset the stabilizer trim and ran out of elevator during the flare for landing. A hard landing occurred and the left main landing gear collapsed causing substantial damage to the underside of the fuselage.
The pilot reported that he had performed a precautionary landing to a corn field due to strong winds, heavy rain, and low fuel. He refueled the airplane and decided to continue to his destination. Initially, the pilot performed a partial takeoff, which was aborted, to obtain the conditions of the field.
The airplane was configured with a single seat, one set of controls, and with seat belts on the floor to haul parachutists. Also, it was loaded to an estimated gross weight of 2,834 lbs; the maximum certificated gross weight was 2,550 lbs. The pilot took off from a soft sod runway (rwy 9) with a crosswind component.
A passenger-parachutist stated she had exited the cabin and was on the jump platform preparing to jump from about 3,500 feet when the left wing and nose dropped and the aircraft entered a spin to the left. After an unknown number of revolutions she jumped from the aircraft and deployed her chute
The pilot reported that, before takeoff with the four parachutists, he had checked the flight controls and no evidence of any mechanical problems was noted. During the takeoff roll the airplane accelerated between 60 and 65 mph, became airborne and pitched 60 degrees nose up.
The pilot reported that the winds were from 260 degrees at 10 knots. During the takeoff roll on runway 28, at about 60 miles per hour, he ‘began to bring the tail up for a wheel takeoff…. The airplane began to veer to the left.’ He ‘attempted to get the airplane straight with right rudder and right brake. The airplane ran off of the runway and ground looped on top of a hill.’
The pilot stated that he elected to land to the south on the 1,600-foot grass runway due to the prevailing winds at the departure airport and he had never landed at the airstrip before. He entered the pattern to land and with full flaps extended, the airplane touched down hard on the nose landing gear, bounced, then touched down and nosed over.
The pilot stated that after climbing to 10,000′ msl on a skydiving flight, the occupants began preparations for the fourth and final parachute jump of the day. The first parachutist (skydiver) of three was standing on the right wing strut preparing to jump, when his main parachute (that he had packed himself) deployed inadvertently.
The 81-year-old pilot was flying to the glencoe municipal airport to pick up parachutists. The glencoe airport has a grass runway. The pilot landed in a grass field one-half mile south of the airport. Witnesses reported the pilot circled the field before landing. The airplane struck a fence post and nosed over during landing roll.
During sport parachute operations the aircraft inadvertently stalled when too many jumpers attached themselves on the outside of the aircraft. The jumpers had been briefed on limiting the number to exit at one time to six; however, they ignored these instructions. As they departed the aircraft the pilot regained control and landed without further incident.
The private pilot and four parachutists were on board the airplane as it taxied for takeoff. The wind conditions were reported between 14 and 16 knots. The pilot stated that he added full power, achieved flying speed, rotated, and began to climb out.
After takeoff, the airplane was seen at low altitude trailing smoke from the left engine. Witnesses saw the wings ‘tipping’ back and forth, then a wing dropped and hit the ground. Examination revealed that a supercharger bearing had failed in the left engine. The left engine had been recently installed by non-certificated personnel after being inactive for 18 yrs without preservation.