Mark Divita RV-8 N98D
18 September 2011 · Lancaster, Texas, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 18 September 2011 at about 20:40 local time, a Mark Divita RV-8 registered N98D was involved in an accident near Lancaster, Texas, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 20:40
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Lancaster, Texas, United States
- Nearest airport
- Lancaster Regional (LNC)
- Coordinates
- 32.5775, -96.7175
- Aircraft
- Mark Divita RV-8
- Registration
- N98D
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Lancaster → Lancaster
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CEN11LA658
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The failure of the tailwheel to remain locked during a crosswind landing, which resulted in a loss of directional control.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot landed the tailwheel-equipped airplane with a crosswind, and during the landing rollout the airplane veered to the right. The pilot's attempts to correct the veer by applying left rudder pedal and left brake were unsuccessful. The airplane exited the right side of the runway, ground looped, and the left main landing gear collapsed resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the tailwheel assembly, tailwheel steering arm, and rudder stops were all in working condition. However, when combined together, the resulting configuration allowed the tailwheel to unlock and fully swivel 15 degrees prior to the rudder reaching full travel in either direction. Subsequently, when the airplane slowed to an airspeed at which the rudder was no longer effective and rudder input was added to correct for the crosswind, the tailwheel disengaged, resulting in the runway excursion.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Feb 2011 | Cessna 172N | Andrews, Texas, United States | Stephan Warren Company | Serious injuries | - |
| 16 Apr 2011 | Cessna 172 | Greenville, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 27 Feb 2011 | Cessna 310K | Angleton, Texas, United States | Arthur Hale Consulting/Instruction, LLC | Serious injuries | - |
| 30 Nov 2011 | Cessna 305A | Fredericksburg, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 12 Jun 2011 | Fisher LANCAIR | Azle, Texas, United States | Adastral LLC | Serious injuries | - |
| 23 Jul 2011 | Mooney M20K | Cresson, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |