N165AB

On August 3, 2017, at 1200 central daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Ralph Marine Devil Dog, N165AB, veered off the runway and impacted terrain during landing at Danville Municipal Airport (32A), Danville, Arkansas. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The uncertificated pilot was uninjured. The airplane was operated by the pilot and registered to the previous owner under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight that was not operating on a flight plan. The local flight originated from and was to remain at 32A.

The pilot recently purchased the airplane, which was a tricycle, weight-shift control aircraft, that had a 40 mile per hour lift-off speed. The pilot stated that he was practicing takeoffs and landings, which he called "crow hops," on the runway. The pilot intended to fly the airplane along the runway but not enter the airport traffic pattern. He performed four crow hops and during the last landing, the left main landing gear tire became flat and separated from its wheel at a speed of 30 miles per hour. The airplane veered right off the runway surface and into a grass area. The airplane rolled over onto its left side damaging the airplane mast.

The pilot stated that the previous airplane owner had put liquid fix-a-flat, which was a product not to be used in aircraft tires, in the left main landing gear wheel. The pilot stated that the liquid fix-a-flat will corrode the aluminum landing gear wheels and would allow the tire to spin on the wheel during braking.

Post-accident examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed the presence of a liquid flat repair substance commonly called "slime" in the left main landing gear wheel and around the inner edges of the tire. The inspector also stated that the diameter of the main landing gear wheel was relatively small compared to the tire.