Pilot Debrief

Piper PA18 near New Market, VA — 2019-12-15

Final reportERA20LA055
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Date
2019-12-15
Location
New Market, VA, USA
Airport
8W2
Aircraft
Piper PA18
Registration
N1984A
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Landing

Probable cause

The pilot's improper touchdown, which resulted in a hard landing and an overload failure of the right main landing gear leg and its associated shock/dampener.

NTSB narrative

According to the pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane, the airplane immediately rolled right and pitched forward at touchdown. The pilot's corrective control inputs had "no effect"; the airplane continued 100 ft past its touchdown point and came to rest facing about 40° off centerline with the tailwheel on the runway centerline. The right main landing gear leg and shock/dampener fractured, and the right wing was substantially damaged. Metallurgical examination of the right main landing gear leg and gear shock/dampener revealed no pre-impact anomalies, and the fracture surfaces of each displayed features consistent with overload failure. Thus, it is likely that the failure of the landing gear was a result of a hard landing.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Mechanical failure
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have aborted landing after touchdown if control was lost.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 3 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents3

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