Event ANC06LA081

Factual narrative

On June 29, 2006, about 1010 eastern daylight time, a tundra tire-equipped Piper PA-18 airplane, N7601P, sustained substantial damage when it nosed over during the landing roll at the Orlando Executive Airport, Orlando, Florida. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) local area personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The airplane was operated by the pilot. The private certificated pilot received minor injuries, and the sole passenger was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at the Orlando Executive Airport about 0800, and no flight plan was filed. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), on June 30, the pilot reported that he was landing on the asphalt surface of runway 25, with about a 5 knot wind from the right. During the landing roll, the airplane abruptly veered to the right, and he applied left rudder. The airplane then veered abruptly to the left. He applied engine power to straighten the airplane and it lifted off the runway. The pilot again landed the airplane and it once again veered abruptly to the right. Upon application of left rudder, the airplane sharply veered left and nosed over on the runway. The airplane received damage to the wings, the wing lift struts, the vertical stabilizer, and rudder. The pilot said that the wind conditions were not sufficient to have produced the abrupt heading changes that he experienced. He reported that a mechanic examined the tailwheel and found that it possibly was binding. At 1015, an aviation routine weather report (METAR) at the Orlando Airport was reporting, in part: Wind, 320 degrees (true) at 5 knots; visibility, 10 statute miles; clouds and sky condition, clear; temperature, 84 degrees F; dew point, 71 degrees F; altimeter, 30.13 inHg. In a telephone conversation with the NTSB IIC on October 5, a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector from the Orlando Flight Standards District Office (FSDO), reported that an examination of the airplane did not reveal any mechanical malfunction. The private certificated pilot was landing a tundra tire-equipped airplane on an asphalt surfaced runway during a Title 14, CFR Part 91 flight with a 5 knot wind from the right. During the landing roll, the airplane abruptly veered to the right, and the pilot applied left rudder. The airplane then veered abruptly to the left. He applied engine power to straighten the airplane, and it lifted off the runway. The pilot landed the airplane, and it once again veered abruptly to the right. Upon application of left rudder, the airplane sharply veered left, and nosed over on the runway. The airplane received damage to the wings, the wing lift struts, the vertical stabilizer, and rudder. The pilot said that the wind conditions were not sufficient to have produced the abrupt heading changes that he experienced. He reported that a mechanic examined the tailwheel and found that it possibly was binding. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector reported that an examination of the airplane did not reveal any mechanical malfunction. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12