On June 5, 1995, a Piper PA-18-150 (registration N9299D) was involved in an aviation accident near Manley Hot Spri, AK. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO CORRECTLY COMPENSATE FOR THE EXISTING WIND CONDITIONS. THE GUSTING WIND CONDITION WAS A FACTOR. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A pilot reported a gusty wind that stopped at 10 ft, leading to a hard tailwheel-first landing, bounce, and veer. The right lower longeron was bent, displacing the left rudder stop and reducing left rudder travel.
Incident Description
During the landing approach, the pilot noted gusty wind conditions. When the aircraft was approximately 10 feet above the ground, the wind ceased. The airplane subsequently touched down hard, contacting the runway tailwheel first. The impact caused the aircraft to bounce back into the air. On the second touchdown, the airplane veered to the right. The pilot applied left rudder input but was unable to move the rudder pedal.
Examination Findings
Post-incident examination of the aircraft revealed that the right lower longeron was bent. This structural deformation displaced the left rudder stop toward the right side of the airplane. As a result, the available travel of the left rudder was reduced, which likely prevented the pilot from applying sufficient left rudder to correct the veer.
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