Pilot Debrief

PIPER PA-12 near Rangeley, ME — 2023-10-27

Final reportERA24LA024
Sign in to save
Date
2023-10-27
Location
Rangeley, ME, USA
Airport
8B0
Aircraft
PIPER PA-12
Registration
N3910M
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Minor
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll with a crosswind, after the right tailwheel spring separated.

NTSB narrative

The tailwheel equipped airplane veered to the left during the landing roll and nosed over when the pilot attempted to correct by utilizing the airplane’s brakes. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and left wing. The right tailwheel spring was found disconnected. Subsequent inspection of the right tail-wheel spring revealed tooling marks, and that the attachment loop had been closed back towards its original radius. When asked about the tooling marks on the separated spring, the pilot/owner suggested they may have occurred during a previous annual inspection or “when it fell off a few years ago when I had a bad tailwheel shimmy.” At the time of the accident, the pilot was landing the airplane on runway 32 with wind from 250° at 5 knots.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

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

Docket documents7

Related mishaps