Tillamook Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Tillamook, Oregon 97141
Saturday, October 5, 2002 13:45 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The pilot preflighted the 1928 Curtiss Wright Travel Air 4000 and departed with two passengers on a short, local sightseeing flight. Upon landing the aircraft veered left off the runway nosing over and coming to rest inverted in the grass. Post crash examination revealed that the original weld between the left-right main wheel axle and the left wheel "V" strut had fractured allowing the left strut and wheel axel to separate and the left wheel to subsequently collapse/shift during the landing roll. Although company personnel on the ground observed the aircraft prior to landing and noted the left main gear "hanging down" they were unable to contact the pilot by radio and the pilot's view of the main wheels was obstructed in flight.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The fracture of the weld joining the left main wheel strut to the left/right main wheel axel resulting in separation of the strut from the axle during an unknown phase of operation which ultimately lead to the left gear collapse and subsequent nose-over on landing roll.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 10/5/2002
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1345
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City Tillamook
Event State OREGON
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 97141
Event Date Year 2002
Event Date Month 10
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 452450N
Event Location Longitude 1234844W
Event Location Airport Tillamook
Event Location Nearest Airport ID S47
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation 35
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1238 Pacific Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 95
Weather Observation Facility ID MMV
Elevation of weather observation facility 163
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 30
Time Zone of the weather observation PDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 3100
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height --
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions --
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) --
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 16
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 14
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 30
Variable Wind Indicator Wind direction could be determined
Wind Speed (knots) --
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30.35
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation --
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries --
On Ground, Minor Injuries --
On Ground, Serious Injuries --
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 3
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 13638
NTSB Notification Source FAA SEA ROC
NTSB Notification Date Oct 5 2002 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1405
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information DMS
Date of most recent change to record Jul 1 2003 9:44AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\MONR
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office Hillsboro FSDO

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N4949
NTSB Number SEA03LA001
Missing Aircraft Indicator --
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? No
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Curtiss-Wright
Aircraft Model Travel Air 4000
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number 447
Certified Max Gross Weight 2850
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 3
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Aug 11 2002 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 98
Airframe Hours 2850
ELT Installed Unknown
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name Stoffel, Larry L.
Aircraft Owner Street Address --
Aircraft Owner City Tillamook
Aircraft Owner State OR
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 97141
Operator is an individual? No
Operator Name Tillamook Air Tours
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 640 Hangar Road
Operator City Tillamook
Operator State OR
Operator Country USA
Operator Zip code 97141
Operator Code --
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? --
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation --
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Business
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code S47
Departure City Tillamook
Departure State OR
Departure Country USA
Departure Time 1300
Departure Time Zone <
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code S47
Destination City --
Destination State --
Destination Country --
Specific Phase of Flight Landing - roll
Report sent to ICAO? No
Evacuation occurred No
Date of most recent change to record Jun 6 2003 11:55AM
User who most recently changed record JOHB
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 31
Runway Length 4990
Runway Width 100
Sight Seeing flight Yes
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --