McCurdy PRO STAR PT-2 N2102

Summary

On 16 March 2009 at about 18:37 local time, a McCurdy PRO STAR PT-2 registered N2102 was involved in an accident near Springfield, Illinois, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

16 March 2009 at 18:37

Classification

Accident

Location

Springfield, Illinois, United States

Nearest airport

Abraham Lincoln Capital Arpt. (KSPI)

Coordinates

39.8442, -89.6781

Aircraft

McCurdy PRO STAR PT-2

Registration

N2102

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Flight Test

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Springfield → Springfield

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN09CA215

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The accident occurred during the first flight since the tailwheel-equipped airplane had been rebuilt. The pilot reported that runway 31 was the active runway and the local winds were calm to light-and-variable. After departure, the pilot was cleared for a full-stop landing on runway 31. While the airplane was on final approach, the local air traffic controller stated the wind was 150 degrees magnetic at 5 knots. The pilot performed a three-point landing on the runway centerline, touching down at approximately 40 mph. He reported that the tailwheel bounced after touchdown, after which the airplane immediately began veering to the right. He was unable to correct for the right swerve using a combination of rudder and brake inputs. He ultimately applied full right brake pressure in an attempt to ground loop the airplane on the hard runway surface. During the ground loop the left main landing gear encountered soft terrain off the right side of the runway, and the left wing tip then impacted the ground. The left wing was substantially damaged. Examination of the flight controls, brake system, and tailwheel assembly revealed no anomalies that could be associated with a preimpact failure or malfunction.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.