Loss of Control in Flight: Cessna 172R Skyhawk, N20JA; accident occurred August 08, 2018 at Greeley-Weld County Airport, Colorado

Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Denver, Colorado

Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf 

Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board: https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms

Aviation Accident Data Summary - National Transportation Safety Board:  https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf

http://registry.faa.gov/N20JA

Location: Greeley, CO
Accident Number: CEN18CA323
Date & Time: 08/08/2018, 2000 MDT
Registration: N20JA
Aircraft: Cessna 172
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Loss of control in flight
Injuries: 2 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal 

Analysis 

The pilot and a safety pilot were practicing instrument maneuvers, approaches, and landings at different airports during the flight. The airplane entered the traffic pattern for a practice landing at an airport. According to the safety pilot, the airplane was high and slow during the final approach. About 10 ft above ground level, the airplane "floated a little longer," and the pilot initiated a go-around by applying full throttle. During the attempted go-around, both occupants applied conflicting "correction" inputs to the control yokes; the pilot applied back pressure, and the safety pilot applied forward pressure. The airplane stalled, the left wing impacted terrain, and the airplane came to rest upright adjacent to the runway.

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the forward fuselage and both wings.

Both pilots reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

The pilot statements were conflicting regarding the accident details and sequence of events. Based on the statements and airplane damage, it is likely that the conflicting control inputs resulted in the pilots' failure to maintain a proper airspeed and that the airplane entered an aerodynamic stall during the attempted go-around. Neither pilot reported that verbal communication was established during the landing sequence.

Probable Cause and Findings

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot's and safety pilot's conflicting control inputs during landing, which resulted in their failure to maintain a proper airspeed and resulted in an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the lack of communication between the pilot and safety pilot during the landing and go-around.

Findings

Aircraft
Airspeed - Not attained/maintained (Cause)

Personnel issues
Lack of communication - Flight crew (Factor)
Lack of communication - Pilot (Factor)
Use of equip/system - Pilot (Cause)
Use of equip/system - Other/unknown (Cause)
Lack of communication - Other/unknown (Cause)

Factual Information

History of Flight

Approach
Miscellaneous/other

Approach-VFR go-around
Loss of control in flight (Defining event)

Approach
Attempted remediation/recovery

Approach-VFR go-around
Aerodynamic stall/spin
Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)

Pilot Information

Certificate: Private
Age: 25, Female
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine Land
Seat Occupied: Left
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used: 3-point
Instrument Rating(s): None
Second Pilot Present: Yes
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 1 With Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 07/03/2017
Occupational Pilot: No
Last Flight Review or Equivalent: 12/03/2017
Flight Time:   164 hours (Total, all aircraft), 161 hours (Total, this make and model), 114 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft), 67 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 21 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft), 1 hours (Last 24 hours, all aircraft)

Pilot-Rated Passenger Information

Certificate: Private
Age: 21, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine Land
Seat Occupied: Right
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used: 3-point
Instrument Rating(s): Airplane
Second Pilot Present: Yes
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 1 Without Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 12/22/2017
Occupational Pilot: No
Last Flight Review or Equivalent: 08/16/2017
Flight Time:  240 hours (Total, all aircraft), 207 hours (Total, this make and model), 197 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft), 64 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 35 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft), 2 hours (Last 24 hours, all aircraft)

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Cessna
Registration: N20JA
Model/Series: 172 R
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 1997
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal
Serial Number: 17280253
Landing Gear Type: Tricycle
Seats: 4
Date/Type of Last Inspection: 06/30/2018, 100 Hour
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 2299 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection: 46 Hours
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 8765.4 Hours at time of accident
Engine Manufacturer: Lycoming
ELT: Installed, not activated
Engine Model/Series: IO-360-L2A
Registered Owner: Jeppesen Employees Flying Association Inc
Rated Power: 180 hp
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: GXY, 4696 ft msl
Distance from Accident Site: 0 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 1945 MDT
Direction from Accident Site: 0°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Visibility:  10 Miles
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: 5 knots /
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual: None / None
Wind Direction: 130°
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual: N/A / N/A
Altimeter Setting: 30.18 inches Hg
Temperature/Dew Point: 24°C / 9°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Precipitation
Departure Point: Fort Morgan, CO (FMM)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: Greeley, CO (GXY)
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time: 1930 MDT
Type of Airspace: Class G

Airport Information

Airport: Greeley-Weld County Airport (GXY)
Runway Surface Type: Asphalt
Airport Elevation: 4696 ft
Runway Surface Condition: Dry
Runway Used: 17
IFR Approach: None
Runway Length/Width: 10000 ft / 100 ft
VFR Approach/Landing: Go Around; Traffic Pattern

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 1 None
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 None
Latitude, Longitude: 40.428611, -104.631944 (est)

Learjet 45, N818BD: Incident occurred August 08, 2018 In Denver, Colorado

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Denver, Colorado

Windshield cracked in flight.

Poarch/Swinbank Investments LLC

http://registry.faa.gov/N818BD

Date: 08-AUG-18
Time: 23:35:00Z
Regis#: N818BD
Aircraft Make: LEARJET
Aircraft Model: 45
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: MINOR
Activity: UNKNOWN
Flight Phase: EN ROUTE (ENR)
Operation: 91
City: DENVER
State: COLORADO

Delta Air Lines, McDonnell Douglas MD-88: Incident occurred August 08, 2018 at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (KATL), Georgia

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Atlanta, Georgia

Flight 1250: Reported loss of engine on departure, aircraft returned and ran off the runway on landing.

Date: 08-AUG-18
Time: 16:51:00Z
Regis#: UNK
Aircraft Make: MCDONNELL DOUGLAS
Aircraft Model: MD 88
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: UNKNOWN
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: UNKNOWN
Activity: COMMERCIAL
Flight Phase: LANDING (LDG)
Operation: 121
Aircraft Operator: DELTA AIRLINES
Flight Number: 1250
City: ATLANTA
State: GEORGIA

System/Component Malfunction/Failure (Non-Power): Cessna T337G, N255; accident occurred August 08, 2018 at Lewiston-Nez Perce County Regional Airport (KLWS), Idaho

The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.

Additional Participating Entities: 
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Helena, Montana
Textron Aviation; Wichita, Kansas

Aviation Accident Factual Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf

Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board: https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms

http://registry.faa.gov/N255

Location: Lewiston, ID
Accident Number: WPR18LA215
Date & Time: 08/08/2018, 1828 PDT
Registration: N255
Aircraft: Cessna T337
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power)
Injuries: 2 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Aerial Observation

On August 8, 2018, about 1828 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna T337G airplane, N255, was substantially damaged to the lower fuselage during landing at Lewiston Perce Nez Airport (LWS) Lewiston, Idaho. The commercial pilot and his passenger were not injured. The airplane was registered to Northern Air Inc, and was under contract to and being operated by the United States Forest Service as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 aerial survey flight. Visual meteorological conditions existed at the time of the accident and no flight plan was filed. The flight had originated from LWS about 5 hours before the accident.

According to the pilot, the airplane operated normally for the mission, and for most of the landing approach. However, when the pilot selected the landing gear to the extended position, the gear doors opened, the electric motor that pressurized the hydraulic extension system continued to run, but the landing gear failed to extend. The pilot reported that the airplane was at a speed about 20 mph below the maximum landing gear operating speed when he selected the gear down. The pilot pulled the circuit breaker for the pump motor and abandoned the approach. He then flew a short distance away from LWS so that he could attempt to troubleshoot and rectify the problem.

The pilot cycled the landing gear control five or six times, but all efforts to operate the landing gear were unsuccessful. He then employed his passenger to assist him with running the checklists and other troubleshooting activities. The pilot and passenger determined that the landing gear system hydraulic fluid reservoir that was accessible to them in the cabin was empty. The pilot contacted his maintenance personnel by radio, and they assisted in additional attempts to correct the situation; these attempts included replenishing the reservoir with oil and water. Despite those efforts, the landing gear could not be successfully extended. The pilot decided to burn off extra fuel before returning to conduct a gear-up landing.

During the return approach, the pilot secured the front engine, and "bumped" the propeller with the starter to position the blades horizontally, in order to prevent damaging them by runway contact. The occupants unlatched a cabin door in order to enable assured opening after landing. The pilot landed the airplane gear up on runway 30, and the airplane slid to a stop within a few feet of the runway centerline.

Pilot Information

Certificate: Commercial
Age: 33, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Multi-engine Land; Single-engine Land; Single-engine Sea
Seat Occupied: Left
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used:
Instrument Rating(s): Airplane
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 2 Without Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 05/09/2018
Occupational Pilot: Yes
Last Flight Review or Equivalent: 05/23/2018
Flight Time:   4460 hours (Total, all aircraft), 632 hours (Total, this make and model), 3445 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft), 82 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 82 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft), 6 hours (Last 24 hours, all aircraft) 

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records indicated that the pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with a airplane single engine, multiengine, and instrument ratings. According to information provided by the pilot, he had approximately 4,460 total hours of flight experience, including approximately 632 hours in the accident airplane make and model. His most recent flight review was completed in May 2018, and his most recent FAA second-class medical certificate was issued in May 2018.

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Cessna
Registration: N255
Model/Series: T337 G
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 1975
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal
Serial Number: P3370213
Landing Gear Type: Retractable - Tricycle
Seats: 4
Date/Type of Last Inspection: 07/09/2018, Annual
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 4700 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection: 93 Hours
Engines: 2 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 2848 Hours at time of accident
Engine Manufacturer: Continental Motors
ELT: C126 installed, not activated
Engine Model/Series: TSIO-360C
Registered Owner: Northern Air Inc
Rated Power: 225 hp
Operator: Northern Air Inc
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None 

The airplane was manufactured in 1975, as serial number P3370213. Operator information indicated that the airplane was equipped with two Continental Motors TSIO-360 series engines. The airplane was a centerline thrust configuration, and was equipped with retractable, tricycle-configuration landing gear. The airframe and both engines had each accumulated a total time (TT) in service of about 2,848 hrs. The engines had each accumulated about 880 hours TT since the most recent overhaul. The most recent annual inspection was completed on July 9, 2018.

The airplane manufacturer's published normal operating speed range for the airplane was 80 to 190 mph, and the caution speed range was from 190 to 230 mph. The maximum landing gear extension speed was 160 mph, and the maximum landing gear extended operating speed was 230 mph.

The landing gear was arranged in a tricycle configuration. All 3 landing gear retracted into the fuselage, and were aerodynamically faired by multiple doors for each wheel well. The aftmost and largest door for each of the two main landing gear wells extended from the fuselage bottom and partially up its respective fuselage side, resulting in an "L"- or bowl-like shape for the door. Due to their shape, these main landing gear doors are sometimes referred to as the "parachute" or "clamshell" doors.

Each main door was opened and closed by a dedicated hydraulic actuator attached to the door and the fuselage. Each actuator was equipped with an internal snap ring (sometimes referred to as a "circlip") that nested in a groove inside the actuator cylinder, functioned as a travel-limiting and retaining stop for the actuator rod in the actuator cylinder.

Each main door was hinged longitudinally along its upper (outboard) edge. The forward and aft door edges were oriented parallel to the airplane lateral axis. The inboard door edges were closest to the airplane centerline. During the landing gear extension cycle, each main door would swing down and then outboard, with a maximum travel of about 90°. When the doors were in transit or fully open, their shape and operating configuration resulted in significant airloads on the doors, and resultant aerodynamic drag on the airplane. These doors return to the closed position when the landing gear extension cycle is complete.

The airplane manufacturer's maintenance manual (MM) specified that after disassembly, the landing gear door actuator should be inspected for "cracks, chips, scoring, wear or surface irregularities which might affect…the overall function of the actuator." In the MM section for actuator re-assembly, the guidance specified to "Install all new packings and retainers." The internal snap rings qualified as retainers, and therefore were to be replaced during re-assembly of the actuators.

According to the airplane maintenance records "all three MG [main landing gear] door cylinders [actuators]" were "rebuilt" with "new O-rings" in July 2014, when the airplane had a TT of about 1,968 hrs. That entry was the most recent entry concerning the landing gear. The entry did not cite any additional details about the rebuilds, including whether new internal snap rings were installed. Discussions with the operator's Director of Maintenance indicated that the snap rings likely were not replaced during the actuator rebuild. The airplane accumulated more than 750 hours of operation between the actuator rebuild and the failure.

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: LWS, 1442 ft msl
Distance from Accident Site: 0 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 1842 MDT
Direction from Accident Site: 0°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Visibility:  10 Miles
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: 5 knots /
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual:
Wind Direction: 90°
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual:
Altimeter Setting: 29.85 inches Hg
Temperature/Dew Point: 39°C / 5°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Lewiston, ID (LWS)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: Unknown
Destination: Lewiston, ID (LWS)
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time: 1300 PDT
Type of Airspace: Class D

The 1842 automated weather observation at LWS included winds from 090° at 5 knots, visibility 10 miles, clear skies, temperature 39°C, dew point 5°C, and an altimeter setting of 29.85 inches of mercury.

Airport Information

Airport: Lewiston Nez Perce County (LWS)
Runway Surface Type: Asphalt
Airport Elevation: 1442 ft
Runway Surface Condition: Dry
Runway Used: 30
IFR Approach: None
Runway Length/Width: 5000 ft / 100 ft
VFR Approach/Landing: Unknown

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 1 None
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 None
Latitude, Longitude: 46.375000, -117.010000 (est) 

The airplane came to rest near the runway 30 centerline, about 100 ft prior to taxiway F. All three landing gear were retracted in their wells, but the landing gear doors were in varying positions of transit. All airframe damage was confined to the airplane belly skins and structure, and the landing gear doors. The tips of the rear propeller blades displayed minor grinding damage consistent with runway contact with the engine operating. Post accident examination revealed that the runway slide had ground through several of the lower skin panels and structural members, substantially damaging the airplane.

Examination of the landing gear system revealed that the same failure had occurred in both the left and right main landing gear door actuators, but for different reasons. In each case, the single internal snap ring that functioned as the travel stop and retaining device for the actuator rod in each actuator cylinder had been liberated from its retention groove in the cylinder, but remained captive on the actuator rod. Liberation of the snap ring enables hyper-extension (overtravel) of the actuator rod, which then permits most or all of the hydraulic fluid to exit the hydraulic system via the actuator. The landing gear hydraulic system was not equipped with any hydraulic fuses, and the reservoir was found to be empty. Loss of most or all of the hydraulic fluid renders the landing gear system inoperative in both the normal and emergency modes. No damage to the snap rings or the actuator cylinders from either door was observed.

Both main doors were found open about 90°, so that their inboard free edges, which were closest to the airplane centerline when the doors were closed, had translated outboard and down. Because the MLG remained in their respective wheel wells, these door edges contacted the runway on touchdown. The inboard edge of the right door was only slightly damaged by runway contact, but according to a technician who examined the airplane shortly after the accident, the left door was "missing about 3-4 inches of material" along its inboard edge, due to abrasion by runway contact. This door-damage evidence was consistent with the liberation of the snap ring from the right actuator occurring first, followed by significant loss of hydraulic fluid, and subsequent disabling of the landing gear system. The left actuator was hyperextended (and its snap ring liberated) by door loading due to runway contact.

Subsequent to the examination, the actuator rods and internal snap rings were re-inserted into their respective actuators, and the hydraulic system was replenished with fluid. The landing gear system was operationally tested while the airplane was supported by jacks. The system performed normally; the landing gear was able to be retracted and extended multiple times with no anomalies or failures. No other mechanical deficiencies with the landing gear system were detected.

Additional Information

Snap Ring Problems and Alternatives

The operator reported that a Canadian operator with 18 Cessna 337 airplanes had 3 occurrences of snap ring liberation and landing gear failure since 1980. A search of FAA Service Difficulty Reports (SDRs) revealed additional snap ring liberation occurrences.

The airplane manufacturer offered an alternate-design actuator that could be installed as a direct replacement (no other changes) on the accident model airplane. The alternate design actuator replaced the snap ring with a threaded cap on the end of the actuator cylinder; this design afforded a more secure retention system for the actuator rod.

At least one aftermarket company, RT Aerospace, developed an alternative for the airplane manufacturer's main landing gear doors. This alternative was approved via an FAA supplemental type certificate (STC). This design replaced the moving doors and their actuation systems with fixed panels that had cutouts for the landing gear. The company website stated that this hardware reduced the "high drag" due to the original door configuration, and improved reliability and safety by eliminating 2 actuators and 4 hydraulic lines. This STC modification was not installed on the accident airplane at the time of the event, but the operator reported that they installed it when the airplane was repaired after the accident.

Location: Lewiston, ID
Accident Number: WPR18LA215
Date & Time: 08/08/2018, 1828 PDT
Registration: N255
Aircraft: Cessna T337
Injuries: 2 None
Flight Conducted Under: Unknown 

On August 8, 2018, about 1828 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna T337G airplane, N255, sustained substantial damage when it landed with its landing gear retracted on runway 30 at Lewiston Perce Nez Airport (LWS) Lewiston, Idaho. The commercial pilot and his passenger were not injured. The airplane was registered to Northern Air Inc, and was operating under contract for the United States Forest Service as an "air attack" firefighting support mission. Visual meteorological conditions existed at LWS for the landing. The flight originated from LWS about 5 hours before the accident.

According to the pilot, the airplane operated normally for the mission, and for most of the landing approach. However, when the pilot selected the landing gear to the extended position, the gear doors opened, the electric motor that pressurized the hydraulic extension system continued to run, but the landing gear failed to extend. The pilot pulled the circuit breaker for the pump motor and abandoned the approach. He then flew a short distance away from LWS so that he could attempt to troubleshoot and rectify the problem. The pilot cycled the landing gear control five or six times, but all efforts to operate the landing gear were unsuccessful. He then employed his passenger to assist him with running the checklists and other troubleshooting activities. The pilot and passenger determined that the landing gear system hydraulic fluid reservoir that was accessible to them in the cabin was empty. The pilot contacted his maintenance personnel by radio, and they assisted in additional attempts to correct the situation; these attempts included replenishing the reservoir with oil and water. Despite those efforts, the landing gear could not be successfully extended. The pilot decided to burn off extra fuel before returning to conduct a gear-up landing.

During the return approach, the pilot secured the front engine, and "bumped" the propeller with the starter to position the blades horizontally, in order to prevent damage from runway contact. The occupants unlatched a cabin door in order to enable assured opening after landing. The pilot landed the airplane gear up on runway 30, and the airplane slid to a stop within a few feet of the runway centerline. The pilot shut down the aft engine, and secured the airplane. Both occupants exited, and no fire or other problems occurred.

Post accident examination of the airplane revealed the runway slide had ground through several of the lower skin panels and structural members, substantially damaging the airplane. Examination of the landing gear system revealed that the circlips that retained the actuator rods in both the left and right actuators for the main landing gear "parachute" doors had been liberated from their retention grooves. Loss of this circlip enables hyper-extension of the actuator rod, and permits hydraulic fluid to exit the actuator.

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Cessna
Registration: N255
Model/Series: T337 G
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built: No
Operator: US Forest Service
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: LWS, 1442 ft msl
Observation Time: 1842 MDT
Distance from Accident Site: 0 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 39°C / 5°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 5 knots / , 90°
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility:  10 Miles
Altimeter Setting: 29.85 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed: Unknown
Departure Point: Lewiston, ID (LWS)
Destination: Lewiston, ID (LWS)

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 1 None
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 None
Latitude, Longitude:  46.375000, -117.010000 (est)

Avid Aircraft Magnum, N833RD: Accident occurred May 19, 2018 at Mineral Canyon Strip Airport (UT75), Moab, Utah

Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Salt Lake City, Utah

Aviation Accident Factual Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf

Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board:  https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms

http://registry.faa.gov/N833RD

Location: Moab, UT
Accident Number: GAA18CA477
Date & Time: 05/19/2018, 1000 MDT
Registration: N833RD
Aircraft: Davidson, Ronald A. Avid
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Nose over/nose down
Injuries: 1 Minor
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal 

The pilot in the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that during the landing roll on the dirt surface, he pinned the tailwheel on the ground, and then he applied aft stick to keep the tailwheel on the ground. However, he was concerned about the condition of the last 1/3 of the runway, and he elected to stop prior to.

He reported that he applied the brakes "a little harder than normal" and the tail came off the ground. He released his brake application, but the tail continued to rise, and the airplane nosed over. Substantial damage was sustained to the vertical stabilizer and the rudder.

The pilot reported that he still had about 1,000ft of runway remaining, but he failed to recognize and correct the momentum of the rising tail in a timely manner.

The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Pilot Information

Certificate: Commercial
Age: 44, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Multi-engine Land; Single-engine Land
Seat Occupied: Left
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used: 3-point
Instrument Rating(s): Airplane
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: Yes
Medical Certification: Class 2 Without Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 07/01/2018
Occupational Pilot: No
Last Flight Review or Equivalent: 11/09/2016
Flight Time:  (Estimated) 1195.2 hours (Total, all aircraft), 87.7 hours (Total, this make and model), 926.9 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft), 21.4 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 12.7 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft), 8.6 hours (Last 24 hours, all aircraft) 

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Davidson, Ronald A.
Registration: N833RD
Model/Series: Avid Magnum
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 2017
Amateur Built: Yes
Airworthiness Certificate: Experimental
Serial Number: M76
Landing Gear Type: Tailwheel
Seats: 2
Date/Type of Last Inspection: 04/12/2018, Condition
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 1750 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection:
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 217.1 Hours as of last inspection
Engine Manufacturer: Lycoming
ELT: Installed, not activated
Engine Model/Series: IO-360
Registered Owner: On file
Rated Power: 200 hp
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None 

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KCNY, 4560 ft msl
Distance from Accident Site: 17 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 1553 UTC
Direction from Accident Site: 38°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Visibility:  10 Miles
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: Light and Variable /
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual: /
Wind Direction: Variable
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual: /
Altimeter Setting: 29.95 inches Hg
Temperature/Dew Point: 19°C / 2°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Moab, UT (KCNY)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: Moab, UT (UT75)
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time: 0900 MDT
Type of Airspace: Class G 

Airport Information

Airport: Mineral Canyon Strip (UT75)
Runway Surface Type: Dirt
Airport Elevation: 3900 ft
Runway Surface Condition: Dry
Runway Used: 14
IFR Approach: None
Runway Length/Width: 2000 ft / 40 ft
VFR Approach/Landing: Full Stop; Straight-in 

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Minor
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 Minor
Latitude, Longitude:  38.533333, -109.983333 (est)