Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board
Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Sacramento, California
Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board:
Location: Concord, California
Accident Number: WPR20CA174
Date & Time: April 12, 2020, 14:30 Local
Registration: N111XW
Aircraft: Extra EA 300
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Loss of control on ground
Injuries: 1 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal
Analysis
The pilot of the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that, after touchdown he applied the brakes and the tail very abruptly "whipped around" 180°. The left main landing gear collapsed, and the left wing tip struck the runway surface, resulting in substantial damage to the wing spar. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operations.
Probable Cause and Findings
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot's loss of directional control during the landing roll, which resulted in a ground loop.
Findings
Aircraft Directional control - Not attained/maintained
Personnel issues Aircraft control - Pilot
Factual Information
History of Flight
Landing-landing roll Loss of control on ground (Defining event)
Landing-landing roll Landing gear collapse
Pilot Information
Certificate: Private
Age: 55,Male
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine land; Multi-engine land
Seat Occupied: Rear
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used: 5-point
Instrument Rating(s): Airplane
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 3 With waivers/limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: January 10, 2019
Occupational Pilot: No
Last Flight Review or Equivalent: March 28, 2019
Flight Time: 1145 hours (Total, all aircraft), 26 hours (Total, this make and model), 1017 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft), 3 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 1 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft), 0 hours (Last 24 hours, all aircraft)
Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information
Aircraft Make: Extra
Registration: N111XW
Model/Series: EA 300 Undesignated
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 1997
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Aerobatic; Normal
Serial Number: 064
Landing Gear Type: Tailwheel
Seats: 2
Date/Type of Last Inspection: February 6, 2020 Annual
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 2095 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection: 16 Hrs
Engines: Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 1148 Hrs at time of accident
Engine Manufacturer: Lycoming
ELT: C126 installed, not activated
Engine Model/Series: AEIO-540
Registered Owner:
Rated Power: 300 Horsepower
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Meteorological Information and Flight Plan
Conditions at Accident Site: Visual (VMC)
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: CCR,26 ft msl
Distance from Accident Site: 0 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 14:48 Local
Direction from Accident Site:
Lowest Cloud Condition: Few / 3000 ft AGL
Visibility: 10 miles
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: 3 knots /
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual: None / None
Wind Direction: 280°
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual: N/A / N/A
Altimeter Setting: 30.01 inches Hg
Temperature/Dew Point: 19°C / 11°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Concord, CA (CCR)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: Concord, CA (CCR) Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time: 14:06 Local
Type of Airspace: Unknown
Airport Information
Airport: Buchanan Field Airport CCR
Runway Surface Type: Asphalt; Concrete
Airport Elevation: 26 ft msl
Runway Surface Condition: Dry
Runway Used: 19R
IFR Approach: None
Runway Length/Width: 5001 ft / 150 ft
VFR Approach/Landing: Full stop; Traffic pattern
Wreckage and Impact Information
Crew Injuries: 1 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries:
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 None
Latitude, Longitude: 37.953609,-122.053886(est)
You never stop flying a tail dragger until it is completely stopped.
ReplyDeleteIf the tail wheel is down, the AOA is higher, the wing is producing more lift.,.,,, it's a good habit to keep the tail wheel in the air, keep the airplane going straight ahead, until the plane is almost completely stopped. Ground loops caused by turning off the runway with too much speed are common. With tri-gears there's a tendency to relax during the rollout -- can't do that in TW.
Pretty airplane....
That was repairable damage but it certainly wasn't cheap. It has a carbon fiber spar. It takes a whopping 24 Gs to break it even though the aircraft is officially FAA certified to +/-10 Gs in up to 1,808lbs MTOW in single pilot aerobatic. That said, having only 1 hour in the last 30 days and 3 hours in the last 90 is not a lot of time, let alone only having 26 hours TT, in a high performance high-attention need machine like this is far from being proficient. If anything he needed more landing transition ground ops practice in full stop and taxi back, not touch and goes! His insurance surely got jacked up. Flightaware shows it started flying again on Jan. 20th this year and he's been doing a whole lot more flying with it with the most recent flight on 4/13.
ReplyDeleteThat said he did show responsible aviator practices being aware of noise complaints, especially considering he was flying on an Easter Sunday afternoon when families might might be having outdoor activities. Napa Valley would have been a much better option since it is mostly around an industrial area on the east side and a marsh state park on the west side with almost no homes in the immediate vicinity. Not many options to fly around less household populated areas in greater Bay Area.
my instructor said stay off the brakes till your almost stopped
ReplyDeleteground looped my air cam slow enough on grass no damage
now I stay off the brakes