The Beech D17 pilot reported that, during the landing roll at the airport in Hamilton, Montana, the airplane veered right.
He added he was unable to correct with left rudder because his foot had become stuck under the left rudder pedal.
The plane left the runway to the right, hit a ditch, and came to rest inverted.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and empennage.
The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll and his subsequent inability to recover due to his foot being stuck.
NTSB Identification: GAA18CA372
This June 2018 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.
IMHO, the ultimate footwear for taildragger flying are driving shoes, such as those made by Puma (https://us.puma.com/en/us/pd/scuderia-ferrari-race-future-kart-cat-mens-motorsport-shoes/306586.html?dwvar_306586_color=03). Leather, rounded heel, thin soles, narrow…they fit like a glove. Excellent rudder pedal feel for precise control. I never fly my RV-8 without them.
The report has no mention of the type footwear the pilot was wearing.
I’ve seen pilots wearing inappropriate footwear while flying that do not lend themselves to safety. Flip flops are a no no as far as I am concerned for obvious reasons. I say wear shoes that are secure with tight laces rather than slip ons of any kind. That being said, feet should be on rudder pedals from engine start up to shut down. I was taught that rudder is the most important control surface to maintain smooth coordinated turns in the air and safe operation on the ground. And since I was taught in a Piper J3 Cub, it was a necessity. As an example and as a V tail Bonanza pilot for many years, I can say that holding your feet secure on the ruddervator pedals at all times significantly reduces if not eliminates (except in severe turbulence) the so called “wig wag” flying characteristic many complain about. So I will say what my primary instructor drilled into my head 50 years ago—“Rudder, Rudder, Rudder—ALWAYS)!
I just wonder if this had been a 135 operation if the NTSB would have wanted to know how it was that the pilot’s foot got stuck under the rudder pedal. And then if they would have made some recommendation to the manufacturer and/or the FAA, etc.
But because this is Part 91…. “Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll and his subsequent inability to recover due to his foot being stuck.”
Notice, it doesn’t say caused by pilot’s foot being trapped under the rudder pedal. Which is probably how it would have read had this been a 135 or 121/125 operation.
This is not the aircraft design. This is a lazy pilot who is so complacent he doesn’t make sure his feet are on squarely on the rudder pedals during the ENTIRE flight, especially on approach. A bad habit that finally led to a bad outcome.
Part of the challenge and fun of flying vintage tail wheel airplanes is the fact that most have cockpit layouts unlike more “modern designs”. That includes instrumentation, seating, controls and brakes. I know the owner of the airplane and doubt that he would have let the pilot fly it if he was “lazy” “complacent” or had “bad habits” . By the way,
how much vintage tail wheel time do you have?
Dale:
Unfortunately, the proof is before us… His foot got stuck (i.e. the pilot wasn’t mindful of where all the body parts were, where the controls were, and likely movements of said body parts and controls). Lazy? Not enough information. Distracted? Likely, but not easy to pin it. Complacent? See accident report for outcome.
Has good friends willing to stand up for ’em? Definitely.
I don’t know this guy. But I know one way of this happening. Your seat height adjustment slowly allowed you to get low compared to the top of the panel. You realize you need to push yourself up in your seat and your foot slides off the carpet into the pedals. The object of this maneuver was to be able to hit the release on the height adjustment to get your seat up where it needed to be. But now you have a foot caught under the pedal.
????