Incident Overview
On November 18, 2011, at approximately 1600 Pacific standard time, a Stinson 108-1, registration N9016K, ground looped while taxiing following a landing on runway 27 at the Boulder City Municipal Airport, Boulder City, Nevada. The airplane sustained substantial damage, and the airline transport certificated pilot was not injured. The flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
The pilot had just purchased the airplane and was en route home during a personal flight. The flight originated from Cedar City, Utah, about 1330. The pilot's intended destination was Lake Havasu, Arizona, but he decided to land at Boulder City to avoid landing at Bullhead City after dark.
Sequence of Events
The pilot landed on runway 27L at Boulder City Airport. Weather conditions were windy; the Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS) reported winds from 190 degrees at 18 to 27 knots, gusting. After landing, the pilot made a 180-degree turn to back-taxi toward the ramp intersection. During the back-taxi, the aircraft veered to the right. The pilot applied left brake but found insufficient braking action to stop the turn. He also applied left rudder and increased power to gain more rudder authority. The aircraft departed the runway pavement on the right side. The right main landing gear leg folded under the fuselage, the nose dug into the dirt, breaking the wooden propeller, and the right wing tip contacted the ground.
Post-Accident Examination
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) personnel examined the airplane. They observed that the outboard right wing rib (inboard of the wing tip) was broken. Additionally, a fuselage lower longeron was broken, and lower skin and frames were deformed or crushed where the right landing gear had separated from its attachment structure. Major structural repairs would be necessary to restore the airplane's airworthiness.
The FAA also inspected the brake system. Both the left and right brakes were found to be operational. No mechanical malfunctions were noted. Fluid was present in both master cylinder reservoirs. Pedal pressure was even, firm, and normal. When brake pedal pressure was applied, both left and right calipers compressed against the rotors and released normally.