• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
General Aviation News

General Aviation News

Because flying is cool

  • Pictures of the Day
    • Submit Picture of the Day
  • Stories
    • News
    • Features
    • Opinion
    • Products
    • NTSB Accidents
    • ASRS Reports
  • Comments
  • Classifieds
    • Place Classified Ad
  • Events
  • Digital Archives
  • Subscribe
  • Show Search
Hide Search

Bounce breaks tailwheel

By NTSB · October 25, 2010 ·

This October 2008 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.

Aircraft: Aviat Aircraft Inc. A-1B. Injuries: None. Location: Mooresville, N.C. Aircraft damage: Substantial.

What reportedly happened: According to the pilot, during a landing attempt the airplane touched down hard enough to bounce, then drifted to the right. The pilot attempted to regain control of the airplane by applying left rudder and aileron. The tailwheel touched down and abruptly swung to the right. The right main gear collapsed and the right wing hit the ground.

The post-accident examination found damage to the tailwheel. The accident inspector theorized that the first bounce had damaged the tailwheel, and when it touched down the second time, it caused the airplane to ground loop.

Probable cause: The pilot’s improper flare while landing.

For more information: NTSB.gov

About NTSB

The National Transportation Safety Board is an independent federal agency charged by Congress with investigating every civil aviation accident in the United States and significant events in the other modes of transportation, including railroad, transit, highway, marine, pipeline, and commercial space. It determines the probable causes of accidents and issues safety recommendations aimed at preventing future occurrences.

Reader Interactions

Share this story

  • Share on Twitter Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook Share on Facebook
  • Share on LinkedIn Share on LinkedIn
  • Share on Reddit Share on Reddit
  • Share via Email Share via Email

Become better informed pilot.

Join 110,000 readers each month and get the latest news and entertainment from the world of general aviation direct to your inbox, daily.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Curious to know what fellow pilots think on random stories on the General Aviation News website? Click on our Recent Comments page to find out. Read our Comment Policy here.

Comments

  1. Larry D. Butler, Ph.D. says

    October 26, 2010 at 8:01 am

    Another “glaring example” of inadaquet flight instruction in type/model of aircraft!

© 2025 Flyer Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy.

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Comment Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Writer’s Guidelines
  • Photographer’s Guidelines