Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Airpark East Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Terrell, Texas 75160
Wednesday, April 22, 2009 17:00 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The commercial pilot had just landed on a 2,630-foot-long by 30-foot-wide asphalt runway with a direct tailwind at 5 knots. The tailwheel was down and the airplane had slowed to a taxi speed when the right landing gear separated from the right landing gear leg, then both wingtips struck the ground causing substantial damage to both wings, and the fuselage. The pilot reported that he thinks the axle failed because of hidden corrosion inside the landing gear tubing that was not detectable during a normal preflight inspection.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The failure of the landing gear due to undetected corrosion.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/22/2009 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1700 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Terrell |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 75160 |
| Event Date Year | 2009 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 324830N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0962104W |
| Event Location Airport | Airpark East Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 1F7 |
| 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 | 510 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1900 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 240 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KHQZ |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 447 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 9 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 21 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 7 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 130 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.94 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | KHQZ 220005z AUTO 13005KT 10SM CLR 27/07 A2994 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 25541 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Anonymous Report to FAA ASW Re |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 20 2009 12:12PM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N2330K |
| NTSB Number | CEN09CA268 |
| 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 | LUSCOMBE |
| Aircraft Model | 8 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | C |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 5057 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1300 |
| 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 | Nov 4 2008 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 4 |
| Airframe Hours | 615 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | C91-A |
| Aircraft Owner Name | BWT LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | PO BOX 181867 |
| Aircraft Owner City | Dallas |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 75218-8867 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | Cleal T WATTS Jr. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Dallas |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 75218 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | 17F |
| Departure City | Terrell |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1645 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | 17F |
| Destination City | Terrell |
| Destination State | TX |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 4 2009 9:25AM |
| User who most recently changed record | latt |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 31 |
| Runway Length | 2630 |
| Runway Width | 30 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |