N7025J

On September 26, 1998, at 0945 hours mountain standard time, a Grumman HU-16C, N7025J, veered off runway 3 on the landing rollout at the Sedona, Arizona, airport. The airplane, operated by the pilot under 14 CFR Part 91, sustained substantial damage. The private pilot/owner, two flight crewmembers, and three passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions existed for the personal flight and no flight plan was filed. The flight departed from the Flagstaff, Arizona airport.

Sedona Automated Weather Observation System reported the winds from 180 degrees at 9 knots gusting to 14 knots.

The aircraft owner holds a private pilot certificate with a type rating in the Grumman HU-16C, and was in the right seat. The second pilot, who was in the left seat and manipulating the flight controls, holds airline transport pilot and flight instructor certificates, but is not type rated in the aircraft. The second pilot has a total of 1.9 hours in the aircraft.

The owner stated that as they approached Sedona, reported winds were from 180 degrees at 10 to 15 knots; however, other airplanes were reporting using runway 3 for landings. He stated that they entered downwind midfield for runway 3. There were no discrepancies noted with the approach or touchdown, and the initial rollout was "normal." The owner reported that when the second pilot selected propeller reverse power, the left engine came in before the right engine and caused a slight deviation to the left. He stated that braking was used to correct the heading. After the initial correction the right brake locked. The owner stated that the propellers were brought out of reverse and the aircraft continued to exit the left side of the runway. He noted that the right tire failed "sometime" during the rollout.

The second pilot, who was at the controls of the airplane during the landing sequence, reported that weather information was obtained via UNICOM. He stated that the winds were from the southeast and the weather was clear with unrestricted visibility. He further noted that other airplanes were landing on runway 3. The pilot reported that on the landing rollout he selected propeller reverse power, and the power came in "asymmetrically causing a left tracking moment." He advanced the throttles to idle and attempted to return to centerline. He stated that after the right tire failed, the airplane continued to cross a taxiway. He reported that the nose trunnion failed and the nose, left float and left wing contacted the ground.

The manager for Red Rock Aviation, a Fixed Based Operator (FBO) at the airport, reported that UNICOM was advising runway 21 as the active runway, and that the winds were from 180 degrees at 9 knots gusting to 14 knots.

The pilot of another airplane, who witnessed the accident, reported that he had just landed on runway 21 and that there were two other airplanes in the traffic pattern for runway 21. He stated that winds were reported at 130 degrees at 14 knots and the conditions in the pattern were turbulent. The pilot noted that after he landed the wind kept shifting direction from a southeasterly to northeasterly heading. Another ground witness stated that the airplane's wings were rocking back and fourth before touchdown and it appeared to him that the left wing tip contacted the ground before the aircraft veered off the runway.

The airplane was inspected by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector on-scene. He reported that there was a skid mark on the left side of the runway. The FAA inspector stated that there were no mechanical anomalies found during an examination of the propeller reverse or the braking systems.