N469RHBoeing A75N1(PT17) · 1941

On June 26, 2010, at 1545 eastern daylight time, a Boeing A75N1 (PT17), N469RH, received substantial damage on impact with terrain when the airplane veered off the right side of runway 21 and nosed over during landing at Eagle Creek Airpark (EYE), Indianapolis, Indiana. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight was not operating on a flight plan. The pilot and passenger were uninjured. The flight originated from Sheridan Airport (5I4), Sheridan, Indiana, about 1535 and was en route to EYE.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the pilot stated that he had departed from EYE and arrived at 5I4 to attend an air show. The pilot reported that he "greased" the landing at 5I4 and taxied to the ramp where he set the airplane parking brake and ramp personnel placed chocks under the airplane wheels. The pilot was asked twice if he had set the parking brake, to which he responded, "well there is only one parking brake and I set it." After the air show, the pilot and the son of a family friend taxied and made a 180-degree turn on a grass runway before departing 5I4. They then flew for about 10 minutes before landing on runway 21 (4,200 feet by 75 feet, asphalt) at EYE. The pilot stated that as soon as the airplane touched down, the airplane veered to the right and that the brakes must have gotten hot. The pilot said that this was the first time that he had ground looped an airplane.

The pilot, age 80, held a commercial pilot certificate with airplane single-engine land, airplane multiengine land, and instrument airplane ratings. He also held a flight instructor certificate with airplane single and multiengine land ratings.

On June 5, 1979, the pilot was involved in an accident while piloting N469RH near Indianapolis, Indiana. The accident was investigated under National Transportation Safety Board Identification: CHI79FEX28.

According to FAA records, the pilot was involved in two general aviation incidents that occurred on May 26, 2004, and August 13, 2006, in a Boeing A75N1 during landing on runway 3 (4,200 feet by 75 feet, asphalt) at EYE.

On May 26, 2004, the accident pilot had briefed that he would perform the takeoff and landing to a second pilot aboard the flight, but during the landing approach, he waved to the second pilot to perform the landing. During the landing, the second pilot shouted to the accident pilot to get off the brakes. The airplane flipped over at the midfield point on the right side of the runway 3 at EYE.

On August 13, 2006, the accident pilot transferred control of the airplane to a second pilot seated in the front seat of the airplane after landing on runway 3 at EYE. After the second pilot took control of the airplane, the airplane ground looped about midfield and came inverted.

The airplane was a 1941 Boeing A75N1 (PT17), serial number 75-2252, that was purchased by the pilot in 1971. The pilot reported that the airplane was powered by a 300 horsepower, Lycoming R680-9, serial number 5677, engine. The airplane type certificate states that only a 220 horsepower, Continental W-670-6A or -6N engine is to be installed on PT-17 or -17A airplanes. The FAA airworthiness database for the accident airplane shows no record for the installation or an approval for the installation of a Lycoming R680-9 engine.

Review of the aircraft logbooks by the FAA revealed no entry for the installation of wheel brakes, which were relatively new. The pilot stated to the FAA that the brakes were installed 2 or 3 years ago by an airframe and powerplant mechanic, but according to FAA records that mechanic had not renewed his inspection authorization since March 1999. The airframe logbook had a signed maintenance entry for an annual inspection dated August 13, 2008, and there was no maintenance logbook entry for a subsequent airframe inspection. There were annual inspection entries dated September 1, 2009, in the engine and propeller logbooks.

Postaccident examination of runway 21 revealed that a 75-yard long skid mark consistent with the left main landing gear tire skid. The skid mark curved off the east side of the runway and into the turf. The skid mark continued through the turf for about 24 yards to where the airplane was resting in a nosed-over attitude. One propeller blade was embedded about 10 inches into the turf. The front and rear lower wing spars were broken and the wing tip sustained damage. The rear wing strut connecting the upper and lower wings was broken about 2 feet from its mounting bracket on the lower wing. The left main landing gear tire was flat and displaced from the wheel rim. The only marks on the right main landing gear tire were scuff marks that were perpendicular to direction of wheel rotation. There were no marks on the runway consistent with the right main landing wheel.

The left main landing gear tire was placed back onto it's rim and filled with air so that the airplane could be towed to the pilot's hangar. The airplane was then towed to the hangar, which was about 1/2 mile from the accident site, without any restriction to the rotation of the main landing gear wheels.

When the pilot was asked by the FAA if the airplane had a tailwheel lock, the pilot stated that it does not and the tailwheel only swings 15 degrees. Inspection of the airplane revealed that the tailwheel would swing 260 degrees and was not equipped with a locking tailwheel nor a steerable tailwheel as required by the airplane's design.

The airplane did not have an operational parking brake system, and the only components of the system that were installed were the control cables as required by the airplane's design.