Accident Overview
On December 2, 2012, at 1430 mountain standard time, an experimental exhibition AeroTek Pitts S-1T, registration N49309, encountered a flight control malfunction during the landing flare at Billings Logan International Airport (BIL), Billings, Montana. The airplane made a hard landing on runway 28L, then departed the runway surface. After leaving the runway, the aircraft nosed over, causing substantial damage to the tail section and the top wing. The pilot, operating under 14 CFR Part 91 for a personal flight, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
Sequence of Events
The pilot reported that he had completed a 40-minute local flight without any issues and returned to land at his home airport. Upon touchdown, he was unable to maintain directional control, and the airplane drifted toward the left edge of the runway. He added power to abort the landing, becoming airborne again. He was cleared to land once more on runway 28L. On the second touchdown, control difficulties recurred, and the airplane moved to the right edge of the runway. The pilot realized he could not safely abort the landing. The airplane departed the runway surface, caught something in the dirt, and nosed over. The pilot later reported that the weld connecting the tail wheel tube to the fuselage had separated.
Post-accident Inspection
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector examined the accident site and the aircraft. He noted a broken tail wheel support bracket, which allowed the tail wheel assembly to move freely left and right without corresponding rudder input. The pilot stated that the support bracket failure was discovered while the aircraft was still inverted. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the tail section and the top wing.