What happened
On 21 April 2006, a DR 107 One Design, registration G-IIID, was involved in a ground incident at Tatenhill, Staffordshire. While the pilot was backtracking to clear the runway for an approaching aircraft, the tailwheel assembly detached from its cantilever spring. This mechanical failure rendered the aircraft impossible to steer normally.
During the incident, the pilot attempted to maintain the aircraft on the paved surface due to concerns regarding raised lighting units at the runway edge and the risk of a nose-over on the adjacent soft ground. These steering corrections led to a ground loop to the right. As the aircraft swung through 90 degrees, it began hopping on its left wheel, causing the left wingtip to make light contact with the ground. The aircraft eventually came to a halt after yawing 180 degrees from its original direction of travel. The incident resulted in no injuries to the pilot.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report form and supplementary information provided by the pilot. Examination of the aircraft revealed damage to the undercarriage, including a bent main gear, a detached tailwheel, and damage to the fuselage tubing near the gear attachment point.
Upon inspection of the tailwheel assembly, the pilot noted that the pin or bolt used to secure the tailwheel to the cantilever spring was missing. A search for the component was unsuccessful. However, a photograph of the tailwheel in its position showed that the area around the hole for the missing pin showed no signs of deformation.