Pilot Debrief

AEROTEK PITTS S 1T near Punta Gorda, FL — 2013-10-19

Final reportERA14LA005
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Date
2013-10-19
Location
Punta Gorda, FL, USA
Airport
PGD
Aircraft
AEROTEK PITTS S 1T
Registration
N53CG
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Landing

Probable cause

The pilot’s loss of directional control during landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s decision to operate the airplane with known ergonomic restrictions due to his size.

NTSB narrative

The pilot/owner reported that he conducted a "normal" three-point landing on the runway centerline with a normal roll in the tailwheel-equipped airplane. While decelerating through 50 mph, the airplane "began to jerk to the right," and the pilot corrected with a left rudder input. The airplane responded "somewhat," but it continued to veer right. The pilot applied full power and full-aft control stick input to abort the landing, but the airplane departed the runway to the right and nosed over, which resulted in substantial damage to the engine compartment, cockpit, and vertical fin structures. The pilot was concerned that the airplane had sustained a structural failure in the area that surrounded the attachment point for the right main landing gear because it had been repaired and modified after the airplane experienced a similar loss of directional control event about 1 year previously. Therefore, he requested a detailed examination of the modifications, welding, and landing gear installation conducted during the previous repair. The examination of the welds revealed that they were intact, and no anomalies were noted. All of the damage to the landing gear system was due to overstress. In a written statement following the previous event, the pilot stated that the loss of directional control resulted from the length of his legs, the geometry of his size-13 shoe and the rudder pedals, and the confined space that enclosed them. He attempted to alleviate the issue by changing his footwear, but his alternate choice of footwear only aggravated the rudder control problem. He stated that the application of left rudder resulted in the inadvertent application of right brake and the subsequent loss of directional control.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Human factors
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have aborted landing earlier to prevent loss of control.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

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

Docket documents10

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