Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Barkley Regional Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Paducah, Kentucky 42086
Saturday, June 11, 2005 10:24 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
After purchasing a tailwheel equipped antique biplane, the pilot departed on the first leg of a cross-country flight to his home airport. While attempting to land at an airport for a rest stop, the pilot executed a low power, steep approach to the asphalt runway. During the flare for landing, the airplane touched down early, skipped, became airborne, and touched down a second time. The airplane then swerved to the right, and ground looped, substantially damaging the airplane. Examination of the landing gear revealed that the main landing gear wheels were "toed out" approximately 2-degrees. The tailwheel steering springs that connected the rudder to the tailwheel were "small," and the tailwheel would release to "full swivel" at a steering angle less than that required for full rudder deflection. The pilot believed however; that the airplane could have been controlled during the landing if differential braking was used to correct a significant swerve. He also stated that, had he discovered that the tailwheel would "release steering," he would have had another tailwheel installed before flying the airplane home.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing resulting in a ground loop and impact with the runway. A factor in the accident was the limited authority of the tailwheel steering system.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/11/2005 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1024 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Paducah |
| Event State | KENTUCKY |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 42086 |
| Event Date Year | 2005 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 370339N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0884625W |
| Event Location Airport | Barkley Regional Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | PAH |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 410 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1033 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PAH |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 410 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 8000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 25 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 22 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 140 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.96 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 19736 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA SROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 11 2005 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 30 2006 1:54PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Louisville, KY. |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N903H |
| NTSB Number | IAD05LA074 |
| 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 | Waco |
| Aircraft Model | GXE |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 2037 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2400 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 1 2005 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 3 |
| Airframe Hours | 1949 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Randall Fisher |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Benton |
| Aircraft Owner State | KS |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 67017 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | -- |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | -- |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | TN96 |
| Departure City | Lebanon |
| Departure State | TN |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 850 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | PAH |
| Destination City | Paducah |
| Destination State | KY |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing - roll |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 19 2006 5:58PM |
| User who most recently changed record | MUZD |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 14 |
| Runway Length | 3999 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |