Summary
On June 28, 2019, a Grosch STARDUSTER TOO (N2RG) was involved in an incident near Lincoln, CA. 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 improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing, subsequent loss of directional control, runway excursion, and ground-loop.
The pilot reported that, during the third landing, the biplane landed hard and veered off the left side of the runway. The airplane ground looped and the left main landing gear collapsed. He added that he thought the tailwheel was swiveling, but not turning with the rudder. While working on repairs, he observed that the shear pins on the "Mollie heavy duty tailwheel" sheared off, which resulted in the tailwheel not working properly.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower right wing.
The airport's automated weather observation station reported that, about 8 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 200° at 3 knots.
This incident is documented in NTSB report GAA19CA436. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N2RG.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing, subsequent loss of directional control, runway excursion, and ground-loop.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
The pilot reported that, during the third landing, the biplane landed hard and veered off the left side of the runway. The airplane ground looped and the left main landing gear collapsed. He added that he thought the tailwheel was swiveling, but not turning with the rudder. While working on repairs, he observed that the shear pins on the "Mollie heavy duty tailwheel" sheared off, which resulted in the tailwheel not working properly.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower right wing.
The airport's automated weather observation station reported that, about 8 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 200° at 3 knots. The pilot landed the airplane on runway 15.
The airplane was not made available to the Federal Aviation Administration or the National Transportation Safety Board for examination.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# GAA19CA436