On 20 May 2016, a PIPER PA 18A 150 was involved in an aviation accident near Westminster, MD. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll, which resulted in runway excursion, and collision with terrain. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
During landing roll, a tailwheel shimmy caused the pilot to lose directional control. The airplane veered left, and hard braking resulted in a nose-over and propeller ground impact, causing substantial fuselage damage.
Incident Overview
A pilot reported an incident involving a tailwheel-equipped airplane during the landing roll. As the tailwheel contacted the runway, a significant shimmy developed, which the pilot noted was not uncommon for the aircraft. Attempting to momentarily unload weight from the tailwheel, the pilot lost directional control, and the airplane veered off the runway to the left.
Sequence of Events
To avoid striking a wind indicator near the runway edge, the pilot applied hard braking. This action caused the airplane to nosed forward, and the propeller struck the ground. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the fuselage as a result of the impact.
Pilot Report
The pilot reported that there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Contributing factors
Directional control — Not attained/maintainedPilot