NYC08LA018

Factual narrative

On October 20, 2007, about 1700 central daylight time, an amateur-built Blair Skybolt, N1UU, veered off the runway after landing at Guntersville Municipal Airport (8A1), Guntersville, Alabama. The certificated private pilot and passenger were uninjured, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, and no flight plan had been filed. According to the pilot, after a normal touchdown, the airplane "didn't seem to respond to control inputs," and the airplane began to veer to the right as it decelerated. The airplane departed the right side of the runway, and ground looped in the surrounding grass. The left main gear collapsed, and the airplane came to rest facing opposite to the direction of landing. According to the passenger, there was "little to no wind," and the runway was dry. Postaccident examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that the control link spring had separated from the right control arm of the tailwheel. FAA information indicated that the paved runway was 3,368 feet long and 95 feet wide. The 1700 surface weather observation at an airport 10 miles south of the accident airport reported calm winds, visibility 10 miles, clear skies, temperature 23 degrees Celsius (C), dew point 1 degree C, and an altimeter setting of 30.02 inches of mercury. During the touchdown, the airplane "didn't seem to respond to control inputs," departed the right side of the runway, and ground looped in the surrounding grass. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the control link spring had separated from the right control arm of the tailwheel. The reason for the separation was not identified. The winds reported around the time of the accident were calm. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12