Accident Overview
On June 15, 2014, at approximately 1200 Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-18-135 amphibious floatplane, registration N949JP, was substantially damaged during the landing roll at a private airstrip near Turner, Oregon. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private pilot under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal local flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The solo pilot was not injured.
Pilot Account
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on June 25, the pilot stated that during the landing roll, the left amphibious float's main wheel collapsed and retracted. Following the collapse, the airplane pulled hard to the left, which the pilot was unable to control with right brake and rudder inputs. The airplane departed the runway to the left, the float support structure collapsed, and the right wing struck the ground.
Examination and Evidence
The right wing sustained structural damage from the lift strut outboard. Prior to the left wheel collapse, there were no known mechanical problems with the airplane. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) aviation safety inspector examined the airplane at the accident site and reported that marks on the runway were consistent with the pilot's account of the left wheel collapsing and the keel of the left float dragging on the runway. The inspector provided the IIC with photographs of the runway marks and damage to the airplane. However, due to the position of the collapsed wheel in the wreckage, the inspector was unable to examine it during the initial examination.
Non-Compliance with Requests
The pilot did not submit the NTSB 6120.1 PILOT/OPERATOR AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT/INCIDENT REPORT form despite multiple requests. Additionally, the pilot did not comply with FAA requests to present the airplane's logbooks or personal flight logbooks for examination, and did not make the airplane available for a postaccident examination.