Summary
On July 27, 2008, a Curtiss-wright 12Q (N496W) was involved in an incident near Erie, CO. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: Failure of the tail wheel control cable during landing roll out, which resulted in a loss of control.
The commercial pilot was returning from a local flight in his vintage single-engine, bi-wing airplane, which was equipped with a tail wheel. He said the winds were light and variable when he made a normal landing on the asphalt runway. However, during the landing roll-out, the airplane suddenly entered a left turn and the pilot was unable to correct with right rudder and brake. The airplane entered the grass area adjacent to the runway, dragging its right wing tip, before it came to rest up on its nose. Examination of the airplane by an FAA inspector revealed that the tail wheel control cable had disconnected from the spring on the right side, which caused the left side spring to pull the tail wheel to the left. In addition, two ribs in the lower right wing were broken.
This incident is documented in NTSB report DFW08CA200. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N496W.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
Failure of the tail wheel control cable during landing roll out, which resulted in a loss of control.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
The commercial pilot was returning from a local flight in his vintage single-engine, bi-wing airplane, which was equipped with a tail wheel. He said the winds were light and variable when he made a normal landing on the asphalt runway. However, during the landing roll-out, the airplane suddenly entered a left turn and the pilot was unable to correct with right rudder and brake. The airplane entered the grass area adjacent to the runway, dragging its right wing tip, before it came to rest up on its nose. Examination of the airplane by an FAA inspector revealed that the tail wheel control cable had disconnected from the spring on the right side, which caused the left side spring to pull the tail wheel to the left. In addition, two ribs in the lower right wing were broken.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# DFW08CA200