Event ANC05LA052

Factual narrative

On March 27, 2005, about 1530 Alaska standard time, a wheel-equipped Cub Crafter's PA-18 airplane, N955DW, sustained substantial damage following a loss of control and collision with the runway while landing at the Fairbanks International Airport, Fairbanks, Alaska. The certificated flight instructor and the private pilot/airplane owner were not injured. The local instructional 14 CFR Part 91 flight operated in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The purpose of the flight was for the private pilot to increase his proficiency in operating a tailwheel airplane. During a telephone conversation with the NTSB investigator-in-charge (IIC) on March 28, the flight instructor related that he was providing flight instruction to the private pilot to improve his tailwheel takeoff and landing procedures. The instructor noted that the private pilot had recently been involved in a landing mishap in a tailwheel airplane (the accident airplane, N955DW), and that the FAA had notified the pilot that they wished to re-examine his tailwheel proficiency in a pending flight check. The instructor stated that the accident landing was the third full-stop landing of the day on runway 19L. He said that the two previous landings had been completed satisfactorily. On the accident landing, the airplane began to veer to the left shortly after touch down, and the instructor said he assisted the private pilot by applying the right brake. He noted that when he placed his foot on the rudder pedal to apply the right brake, the rudder pedal had already been fully deflected to the right by the private pilot. The airplane did not respond to the control inputs, and continued to swerve to the left. The right main landing gear subsequently collapsed, and the right wing struck the runway, damaging the wing spars. The flight instructor said he was unaware of any preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane, but thought possibly the left brake may have heated up and expanded, resulting in the left brake dragging. An FAA inspector from the Fairbanks Flight Standards District Office inspected the accident airplane's left brake assembly on March 29, and found no evidence of a mechanical malfunction. The certificated flight instructor was providing tailwheel instruction to the private pilot/airplane owner. While landing on runway 19L, a 6,500 foot long by 100 foot wide hard-surfaced runway, the instructor said that the airplane swerved to the left and the private pilot made a correction to the right by completely deflecting the right rudder. The instructor stated he also applied the right brake in addition to ensuring that the rudder was all the way to the right, but the airplane continued to the left. The right main landing gear subsequently collapsed, and the right wing contacted the runway, sustaining structural damage to the main spar. The instructor stated that he wasn't sure, but thought it possible the left brake had heated up, and was dragging during the accident landing. Postaccident inspection of the airplane by an FAA inspector disclosed no evidence of any mechanical malfunction of the left brake or wheel assembly. Wind at the time of the accident was reported to be from 163 degrees (magnetic) at 5 knots. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12