No fatalities

21 Sep 2017: THOMAS J MURRAY KITFOX SUPER SPORT SUPER SPOR — Old Forge, NY

Old Forge, NY, United States

On 21 Sep 2017, a THOMAS J MURRAY KITFOX SUPER SPORT SUPER SPOR was involved in an aviation accident near Old Forge, NY. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The separation of the wheel assembly during landing due to the pilot’s use of improper retaining nuts when he installed the tundra tires. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

An experimental amateur-built tailwheel airplane nosed over after the right main landing gear wheel and brake assembly separated during landing on a turf runway. The pilot reported using non-standard bolts to secure the recently installed tundra tires.

Incident Overview

An experimental amateur-built, tailwheel-equipped airplane experienced a landing gear failure during a landing on a turf surface runway. According to the pilot, the airplane bounced upon touchdown. When the aircraft descended again, the right main landing gear wheel and brake assembly separated from the landing gear leg. The airplane then skidded down the runway and nosed over.

Pilot Account

The pilot reported that he had recently installed tundra tires on the airplane. He stated that the four bolts included with the tundra tire kit were not long enough to properly secure the wheel and brake assembly to the landing gear leg. Consequently, he used four longer bolts that were not provided by the manufacturer. The pilot asserted that the nuts used to retain the bolts were those supplied in the wheel assembly kit.

Aircraft Damage

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right-wing strut and the left-wing spar. No further details on damage were provided.

Additional Details

The aircraft was of experimental amateur-built construction and equipped with a tailwheel configuration. The runway surface was turf. No information was given regarding the date, time, location, or any injuries.

Contributing factors

Wheel/ski/float — FailurePilot