What happened
On 14 May 2016, a Titan T-51 Mustang, registration G-TSIM, was performing a private flight at Shobdon Airfield in Herefordshire. While the pilot was taxiing the aircraft along a rough grass taxiway toward Runway 09, they felt a small physical jar. Upon stopping the aircraft and inspecting the underside, the pilot discovered that the tailwheel had collapsed. There were no injuries to the pilot or the passenger, though the aircraft sustained slight damage to the rudder.
The investigation
Investigators examined the mechanical assembly of the tailwheel, which is attached to an aluminium shock-absorbing spring. This spring is held in place by a rod, known as a link, which utilizes two adjustable rose joints to facilitate height and retraction adjustments.
Records indicated that earlier in 201 and following a previous failure of the spring, the owner had reinstalled the component in an inverted position based on a perceived instruction from the kit manufacturer. While the pilot had inspected the link for cracks during the installation of a new spring, no visible defects were found. The investigation established that the failure occurred specifically at one of the rose joints on the link.
Findings
- The tailwheel collapse was caused by the failure of a rose joint within the supporting link.
- The pilot suspected the failure was the result of fatigue.
- The aircraft's owner, who also serves as the UK dealer for the type, has since replaced the adjustable link with a bespoke, solid forged steel version without rose joints to prevent recurrence.