What happened
On 22 February 2003, a Casa 1-131E Series 2000 Jungermann, registration G-BECW, was involved in a ground incident at Rochester Airport, Kent. Following a successful landing on the grass runway 20R, the pilot received instructions from Air Traffic Control to backtrack via grass runway 34 toward the apron.
While navigating the aircraft through the area, the pilot maneuvered around various obstructions, including concrete runway markers and a displaced threshold marker. During this process, the pilot heard a sudden impact. Immediately following this thump, the aircraft's tailwheel steering and suspension functions were lost. To regain control, the pilot unlocked the tailwheel to enable full rudder authority and successfully taxied the aircraft to the apron, where the engine was shut down.
The investigation
An examination of the aircraft and the airfield surface was conducted to determine the cause of the impact. Investigators found that the tailwheel strut had become distorted and was jammed in a trailing position.
Upon inspecting the path taken by the aircraft, investigators identified a nine-centimetre-deep rut in the grass runway. The investigation established that the tailwheel had dropped into this rut, causing it to strike a concrete runway marker. The forward momentum of the aircraft against this fixed object created enough force to extend and subsequently damage the strut.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was the tailwheel striking a concrete runway marker after the aircraft entered a deep rut.
- The impact occurred while the aircraft was backtracking on the grass runway.
- There were no injuries to the pilot or the single passenger on board.