Accident Details
On November 4, 2012, at 1700 central standard time, a WACO SRE, registration NC247E, nosed over following a loss of control during the landing roll at Lafayette Regional Airport (LFT), Lafayette, Louisiana. The pilot and two passengers on board were not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged.
Flight Circumstances
The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot. The local personal flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from LFT at 1630.
Pilot Report
The pilot reported that he made an uneventful landing. During the landing roll, the airplane veered to the right. He applied left rudder and a small amount of power in an attempt to straighten the airplane's heading, but there was no response. The airplane then nosed over.
Postaccident Inspection
A postaccident inspection revealed that the right main landing gear collapsed, the vertical stabilizer was crushed, and the right lower wing and fuselage were substantially damaged. Inspection of the brakes and tires did not reveal any anomalies that would have resulted in the loss of directional control. The right gear brace strut was bent and cracked; it remained secured at its gear and fuselage attach points.
Laboratory Examination
The right main landing gear brace strut was sent to the National Transportation Safety Board’s materials laboratory for examination. The examination revealed that the crack faces and bending patterns were consistent with overstress.