Summary
On April 02, 2014, a Robert A Miller MURPHY REBEL ELITE (N3552J) was involved in an incident near Roundup, MT. 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 loss of directional control while landing.
The pilot-owner was practicing takeoffs and landings in his amateur built experimental airplane. Earlier in the day, he had accomplished several successful landings, and then took a short break. After the break, he flew the airplane again, remained in the airport traffic pattern, and completed an uneventful takeoff and full stop landing. He took off again, made a circuit of the traffic pattern, and set up for a second landing. The pilot described the approach as "perfect," and noted that he was "over the threshold with just the right altitude and airspeed." The touchdown was normal, but during the latter portion of the landing rollout the airplane began to veer to the left. The pilot applied right rudder; the airplane turned right, and exited the right side of the paved runway.
This incident is documented in NTSB report WPR14CA157. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N3552J.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's loss of directional control while landing.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
The pilot-owner was practicing takeoffs and landings in his amateur built experimental airplane. Earlier in the day, he had accomplished several successful landings, and then took a short break. After the break, he flew the airplane again, remained in the airport traffic pattern, and completed an uneventful takeoff and full stop landing. He took off again, made a circuit of the traffic pattern, and set up for a second landing. The pilot described the approach as "perfect," and noted that he was "over the threshold with just the right altitude and airspeed." The touchdown was normal, but during the latter portion of the landing rollout the airplane began to veer to the left. The pilot applied right rudder; the airplane turned right, and exited the right side of the paved runway. About 15 feet off the runway, the left landing gear entered a depression associated with a drainage culvert. The left landing gear was displaced aft and up, and the left wing and nose of the airplane struck the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and left wing. The pilot did not cite any mechanical problems with the airplane. In his written report on the accident, the pilot noted that pilots must be "really quick" on the rudder and "can't relax until the airplane is back in the hangar" when flying a taildragger.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# WPR14CA157