This will be expensive.
A small aircraft was approaching a local rural uncontrolled airfield where at least one witness saw what happened. This is the result.
Be the investigator: what do you suppose was the fact pattern? (I happen to know.)
BZ
Ooops
Well, if that IS a runway, I’m guessing a right MLG problem, either going flat or fell off, or brake locked. Second possibility, something caused the pilot to get hard on the brakes and try to swerve to miss something. Third possibility, that is a road, and there was an oncoming car! 🙂
Good guesses, but his engine stalled on his final leg. It didn’t just slow down; it completely seized. It went from full throttle to nothing.
BZ
Oh well, I tried… 😀
The aircraft nosed over enough for the still rotating propeller to be forced stopped. No visible gouges at the stopping point so probably happened where the skid marks ,to the right of the runway center line, start.The right main gear is collapsed. From the aircraft attitude, the gear seems to have collapsed rearward. The tire cannot be seen. The right wingtip can’t be seen. Makes deciding if a ground loop, to the right, happened difficult to determine. Left wingtip is intact. Marks on the pavement show metal was dragging, probably the air intake, as the aircraft veered to the right. The elevator is in the full down position. That means the stick is full forward. Forward because the pilot left it that way? Forward because something or someone forced it forward?
That old an aircraft probably has heel brakes, separate from the rudder pedals.
Guess #1. Something forced the stick forward.
Guess #2. Landed with full brakes on.
Yes. It does have heel brakes.
BZ
The picture seems to show the tailwheel and rudder out of alignment.
Hmmmm. OK I’ll play.
I don’t know much about flying.
So…. I think that’s probably the runway.
I see the drag mark starts almost perfect center which I assume is good.
I assume the pilot was surprised by something on the runway that was not evident during approach.
Damn… Fornicalia… this is hard.
Of course it could have been take off.
(Cheating now… )
Yes… based on WSF’s observation I’m going with takeoff.
Too early on the stick, perhaps to avoid an animal….
(damn,… you said approach)
Well we’ll just have to settle with a Saudi (suicide) pilot in training being used in a drug smuggling operation approached a remote runway near the border. At the same time a band of illegals were crossing the runway carrying weapons provided by Fast & Furious. The Saudi, recognized the Che Guevara t-shirts and came to a full stop as quickly as possible, unfortunately tipping the plane. The rest is just a matter of conjecture.
Much better conclusion than mine.
That last one . . . I like it!
BZ
Situation: final leg, lost power at about 400 feet — yes, that is an official (but very small) runway:
FAA LID: F72
Runway 18/36: 3,240 x 60 ft (988 x 18 m), Surface: Asphalt
Runway 9/27: 3,100 x 60 ft (945 x 18 m), Surface: Asphalt
Approach angle too steep, bounce, too hard on right heel brake.
Pilot walked away. Mad, but walked away.
BZ
I don’t know the technicalities, but I’m told that if the pilot walked away it was a good landing, ha
Truly, that is the bottom line.
But re-habbing his landing gear, wingtip and seized engine?
VERY expensive for the relatively-primitive type of plane.
BZ
OK, so the engine seized up but that should not have caused this problem. This airplane should have been able to have glided in for a normal landing.
So was there a crosswind? Why the right main gear collapse and the prop tips bent?
I say it had power when he landed, the right main gear collapsed, the aircraft nosed over and the spinning prop hit the pavement.
And you, sir, would be quite correct.
Thanks for visiting, and thanks for taking the time to comment!
BZ