On March 25, 2006, a Piper PA-20 (registration N1579A) was involved in an aviation accident near South St. Paul, MN. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing roll, which resulted in the collapse of the right main landing gear. A factor associated with the accident was a tailwind. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A tailwheel airplane veered left off runway 16 during landing roll, resulting in collapse of the right main landing gear. The pilot reported previous uneventful landings and a three-point touchdown.
Event Description
During the landing roll on runway 16, a tailwheel airplane veered to the left side of the runway. The right main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane departed the left side of the runway surface.
Pilot Report
The pilot reported that he had been practicing full-stop landings and that all previous landings that day had been uneventful. He stated that the airplane touched down in a three-point stance and was tracking down the runway. After touchdown, the pilot reported that he had the flight control yoke pulled fully aft, engine power set to idle, and was applying even braking to bring the airplane to a stop. During the landing roll, the airplane veered to the left without warning. The pilot noted having 19.6 hours of experience in tailwheel airplanes, which included 12.6 hours in the same make and model as the accident airplane.
Weather Conditions
At the time of the accident, wind was from 360 degrees magnetic at 4 knots.