N10402 – LAIRD LC-1B-300 – 2008-09-30 NTSB Accident Report

On September 30, 2008, a Laird LC-1B-300 (N10402) was involved in an incident near Spokane, WA. 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: The pilot’s misjudged landing flare that resulted in a hard landing. A contributing factor was the impact related failure of the tail wheel spring attachment bolts due to overload, which resulted in a ground loop.

The pilot stated that the airplane bounced and became airborne after landing firmly on the runway. As the airplane settled back onto the runway it veered to the left despite his control inputs. The airplane subsequently veered off the runway and ground looped. Examination of the airplane revealed that the left and right wings were structurally damaged. The tail wheel rudder spring attachment bolts were found separated and were located on the runway. The fracture surfaces of the bolts were consistent with overload. The pilot reported no pre accident anomalies with the flight control system.

This incident is documented in NTSB report SEA08CA214. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N10402.