Summary
On August 05, 2008, a Air Tractor 301 (N3161A) was involved in an incident near Herreid, SD. 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 one of the tailwheel bolts on landing and the pilot's subsequent inability to maintain directional control.
The pilot returned for landing in the tailwheel configured airplane after an agricultural application flight. He executed a normal landing on runway 12 (2,230 feet by 200 feet, asphalt/turf) and kept the tail up as long as possible as the airplane slowed. The pilot stated that when the tailwheel touched down it felt as if the tail was dragging on the ground and the airplane drifted to the right. He applied opposite rudder but was unable to stop the drift. He subsequently applied the brakes, which spun the airplane around and brought it to a stop partially off the runway. The pilot reported that after the accident he observed a bolt securing the tailwheel had failed. The bolt was discarded and was not available for further examination.
This incident is documented in NTSB report CHI08CA245. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N3161A.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
Failure of one of the tailwheel bolts on landing and the pilot's subsequent inability to maintain directional control.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
The pilot returned for landing in the tailwheel configured airplane after an agricultural application flight. He executed a normal landing on runway 12 (2,230 feet by 200 feet, asphalt/turf) and kept the tail up as long as possible as the airplane slowed. The pilot stated that when the tailwheel touched down it felt as if the tail was dragging on the ground and the airplane drifted to the right. He applied opposite rudder but was unable to stop the drift. He subsequently applied the brakes, which spun the airplane around and brought it to a stop partially off the runway. The pilot reported that after the accident he observed a bolt securing the tailwheel had failed. The bolt was discarded and was not available for further examination. The pilot commented that he will proactively inspect and replace the tailwheel bolts before each spray season.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CHI08CA245