1999-06 · NASA ASRS report 440650
A BELLANCA DECATHLON PVT PLT SNAPS HIS R GEAR OFF DURING A XWIND LNDG ATTEMPT AT Q96. CA.
THE PLT WAS ON FIRST UNSUPERVISED SOLO FLT IN A TAIL DRAGGER. PREFLT; RUNUP AND TKOF WENT SMOOTHLY. THE PLAN WAS TO DO PATTERN WORK INCLUDING LNDGS AND TKOFS. THE PATTERN WAS FLOWN AND A PRELNDG CHK WAS DONE ON L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 16. PWR WAS REDUCED AND AIRPLANE WAS TRIMMED FOR APCH SPD OF 70 MPH. GS; AIRSPD; AND RWY ALIGNMENT WERE EXCELLENT. AFTER XING THE NUMBERS; THE PLANE WAS ROUNDED OUT. AS THE FLARE WAS BEGUN; THE PLANE WAS BLOWN TO THE L. R AILERON WAS APPLIED TO COUNTER THE WIND. THE R WINGTIP THEN TOUCHED THE RWY. NOW CONCERNED THAT THE PLANE MIGHT CARTWHEEL OR GND LOOP; I APPLIED L RUDDER AND RAISED THE WINGTIP 2-3 FT OFF THE RWY. I CONCLUDED THAT SINCE THE WINGTIP CONTACTED THE RWY; THE R MAIN WHEEL WAS PROBABLY IN CONTACT WITH THE GND. I WAS WRONG. ABOUT 1 SECOND AFTER RAISING THE WINGTIP; THE R MAIN WHEEL TOUCHED DOWN AND INSTANTLY SNAPPED OFF. THE PLANE THEN CAME TO A STOP RESTING ON THE L MAIN; R WINGTIP; AND R FUSELAGE. WHEN THE R MAIN BROKE; THE PROP CONTACTED THE GND AND BENT. I SHOULD HAVE GONE AROUND IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE ROUNDOUT WHEN BLOWN OFF COURSE. I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE GONE AROUND AFTER THE WINGTIP TOUCHED DOWN. BUT AT THAT POINT I WAS SCARED AND WANTED TO STAY ON THE GND AND THOUGHT I COULD ROLL OUT OFF THE RWY. BEFORE TKOF AND ON FINAL; I SHOULD HAVE HAD 'GO AROUND' ON THE TIP OF MY TONGUE. I DIDN'T. IT CAME TO MY MIND AFTER IT WAS TOO LATE.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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