Payne/Foster GLASAIR N250CH
24 August 2011 · Ocala, Florida, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 24 August 2011 at about 22:13 local time, a Payne/Foster GLASAIR registered N250CH, operated by Garner Walter C, was involved in an accident near Ocala, Florida, 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 22:13
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Ocala, Florida, United States
- Nearest airport
- Ocala International Airport (OCF)
- Coordinates
- 29.1697, -82.2211
- Aircraft
- Payne/Foster GLASAIR
- Registration
- N250CH
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Garner Walter C
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Melbourne → Ocala
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ERA11CA471
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The failure of the tailwheel locking mechanism to remain engaged while landing in a crosswind, which resulted in a loss of directional control and runway excursion.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
According to the pilot, he landed the airplane with a crosswind, and during the rollout the airplane veered to the left, ground looped, and departed the left side of the runway. The right main landing gear became caught in a grassy area, which brought the airplane to rest and resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the tailwheel lock mechanism of the free-castering tailwheel assembly was unable to keep the tailwheel engaged in the locked position. The mechanism that locked the tailwheel assembly in place was not broken; however, the spring of that particular tailwheel assembly kit worked in compression, rather than tension, which resulted in less pressure being applied to the tailwheel lock and greater susceptibility for the tailwheel to unlock during a crosswind landing. Subsequently, when the lock mechanism was moved repetitively, it became dislodged from the notch.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Nov 2011 | North American SNJ-6 | Kissimmee, Florida, United States | Warbird Adventures Inc | Serious injuries | - |
| 26 Feb 2011 | Enstrom F-28C | Fort Pierce, Florida, United States | Disk Copy Inc | Minor injuries | - |
| 4 Jul 2011 | Fessenden Alfred EXPERMENTAL RV-4 | Fort Drum, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 4 Oct 2011 | Air Tractor AT-502B | Fort Pierce, Florida, United States | Southeastern Aerial Crop Service Inc | Serious injuries | - |
| 15 Jul 2011 | Piper PA-28-161 | Crystal River, Florida, United States | Tailwheels Etc | No injuries | - |
| 6 Sep 2011 | Boeing 737 7H4 | Cape Coral, Florida, United States | Southwest Airlines | Serious injuries | - |