Aeronca O-58B N47185

Summary

On 31 January 2016 at about 17:00 local time, a Aeronca O-58B registered N47185, operated by Assend Dragon Aviation, LLC, was involved in an accident near Bulverde, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

31 January 2016 at 17:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Bulverde, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Bulverde Airpark (1T8)

Coordinates

29.7392, -98.4511

Aircraft

Aeronca O-58B

Registration

N47185

Category

Airplane

Year built

1943

Engines

1

Operator

Assend Dragon Aviation, LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bulverde → Bulverde

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN16LA101

Nobody was injured.

The failure of the left main landing gear wheel casting due to fatigue, which resulted in a loss of directional control during the landing roll.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The commercial pilot reported that, following a normal touchdown and during the landing roll, the airplane suddenly veered to the left. The pilot corrected for the left swerve with the application of right rudder and brake. The airplane subsequently entered a right swerve. The airplane did not respond to the pilot's application of left rudder and brake inputs. The pilot reported that there was a 15-ft descending embankment and trees off the right side of the runway and that, to avoid a runway excursion, he lowered the left wing and intentionally ground looped the airplane to the right. The left wing subsequently contacted the runway surface. A postaccident examination revealed a fracture to the left main landing gear wheel casting. The wheel fracture was located along the inner bearing race shelf and resulted in the bearing being exposed. The bearing race flange had fractured circumferentially and radially in two places. Further examination of the fracture surfaces revealed areas of fatigue, which were the result of casting oxide imperfections that had been present since the wheel was cast and had developed under typical loading of the landing gear. Additionally, the observed alternating fracture features were consistent with spectrum loading, typical of those experienced by a landing gear wheel. Ultimately, the wheel failed as a result of progressive fatigue cracking. The wheel had been cast in 1942, and the owner reported that the airplane had accumulated 3,520 hours since new with 10 hours since the last inspection.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.