N6684ZBeech A36 · 1979

On May 4, 2019, about 1915 Pacific daylight time, a Beech A36 airplane N6684Z, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident at the Reno/Tahoe International Airport (RNO), Reno, Nevada. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal flight.

According to the pilot, he was landing on runway 25 when, despite his right rudder inputs, the airplane veered left off the runway. The airplane continued onto an intersecting runway, striking two runway signs and making a tight 360° turn to the right before stopping. The pilot stated that he was unaware of why he lost directional control of the airplane on the ground. About the time of the accident, the reported wind was from 310o at 15 knots, gusting to 29 knots.

The airplane was examined by a certified airframe and powerplant (A&P) mechanic, under the supervision of a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector. No anomalies were noted with the brake system or tires. The airplane was lifted on jacks to facilitate a landing gear examination. During the examination, the rudder pedals moved freely and there was no binding or anything impeding their movement. The left rudder was noted to fully deflect. However, when the right rudder pedal was pushed to the full position, the right rudder was about 5° from full deflection. Additionally, the nosewheel strut assembly exhibited impact damage. The nosewheel would not center and pointed slightly to the right. The investigation could not determine if the nosewheel and rudder were out of alignment before the accident or if their misalignment was due to impact damage.