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The pilot of a home-built baby ace ground looped, left the runway, and nosed over. He was not injured.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 337840 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199606 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : gxy |
| State Reference | CO |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Experimental |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | landing other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 13 flight time total : 755 flight time type : 6 |
| ASRS Report | 337840 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical conflict : ground critical other anomaly other anomaly other other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
I had difficulty with directional control from the first landing. To correct this, I tried 3 tailwheel spring arrangements and varied the tire pressure. I also adjusted the length of the control moment on the tailwheel. Control seemed to improve as I was able to control a straight rollout on about 6 lndgs. The left gear leg seemed to have some toe-in, which I wish now I would have corrected, and may have been the main reason for the trouble. On this landing, the plane veered right immediately on touchdown. Full left rudder and brake were ineffective. The left wingtip dragged the runway, causing the plane to veer left and bringing the right wingtip to the runway. The plane then went into the grass on the left side of the runway, nosed down, and very gently went over on its back as it stopped. There was no damage to the rudder or to the top of the wings. Inspection revealed no damage to the wing spars. The only damage was to the wingtips, a bent left landing gear leg, a bent heat box, and a broken propeller. No injury.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: THE PLT OF A HOME-BUILT BABY ACE GND LOOPED, LEFT THE RWY, AND NOSED OVER. HE WAS NOT INJURED.
Narrative: I HAD DIFFICULTY WITH DIRECTIONAL CTL FROM THE FIRST LNDG. TO CORRECT THIS, I TRIED 3 TAILWHEEL SPRING ARRANGEMENTS AND VARIED THE TIRE PRESSURE. I ALSO ADJUSTED THE LENGTH OF THE CTL MOMENT ON THE TAILWHEEL. CTL SEEMED TO IMPROVE AS I WAS ABLE TO CTL A STRAIGHT ROLLOUT ON ABOUT 6 LNDGS. THE L GEAR LEG SEEMED TO HAVE SOME TOE-IN, WHICH I WISH NOW I WOULD HAVE CORRECTED, AND MAY HAVE BEEN THE MAIN REASON FOR THE TROUBLE. ON THIS LNDG, THE PLANE VEERED R IMMEDIATELY ON TOUCHDOWN. FULL L RUDDER AND BRAKE WERE INEFFECTIVE. THE L WINGTIP DRAGGED THE RWY, CAUSING THE PLANE TO VEER L AND BRINGING THE R WINGTIP TO THE RWY. THE PLANE THEN WENT INTO THE GRASS ON THE L SIDE OF THE RWY, NOSED DOWN, AND VERY GENTLY WENT OVER ON ITS BACK AS IT STOPPED. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE RUDDER OR TO THE TOP OF THE WINGS. INSPECTION REVEALED NO DAMAGE TO THE WING SPARS. THE ONLY DAMAGE WAS TO THE WINGTIPS, A BENT L LNDG GEAR LEG, A BENT HEAT BOX, AND A BROKEN PROP. NO INJURY.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.