Monroe, NC, USA
N323RP
RADDATZ STEVE RV 8
The airline transport pilot stated that he made a "normal" landing in the tailwheel airplane and that the airplane began to veer right. The pilot applied rudder correction, but the airplane continued to the right, departed the runway, and traveled down an embankment. Examination of the runway revealed tire skid marks from the main landing gear consistent with the airplane touching down to the right of centerline, slightly angled toward the right side of the runway. The skid marks continued right, and departed the paved surface at an approximate 90° angle. There were no skid marks from the tailwheel. The pilot later stated that when the airplane was lifted, the tailwheel was unlocked, but the investigation could not determine whether it was unlocked before the accident or during the accident sequence. The pilot noted that postaccident maintenance of the airplane revealed no anomalies with the braking system.
On June 6, 2015, about 1405 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built RV8, N323RP, was substantially damaged when it veered off the runway while landing at Charlotte-Monroe Executive Airport (EQY), Monroe, North Carolina. The airline transport pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a visual flight rules flight plan had been filed but not activated. The personal flight, which originated at Tuscaloosa Regional Airport (TCL), Tuscaloosa, Alabama, was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations part 91.The pilot reported that upon a "normal" touchdown on runway 5, the airplane veered to the right, departed the runway and went down an embankment. The pilot further noted that when the airplane was lifted, the tailwheel was not locked; however, no evidence was provided that the tailwheel was unlocked prior to the landing, or whether it became unlocked in the course of the accident sequence. In addition, the pilot did not state that the airplane drifted to the right after the tailwheel touched down. Photographs of skid marks consistent with the main landing gear tires showed that the airplane landed right of the runway centerline, angling toward the right, then turned further toward the right, and exited the runway about a 90° angle. The skid marks continued along the runway, and as the airplane turned, the right wheel skid marks became "chatter marks." There were no marks from the tailwheel. In a follow-up email, the pilot noted that he "applied rudder correction and that looks like where the skid marks started." He also noted, "no report of brake problems from the people that are rebuilding the airplane." Winds, recorded at the airport at 1253, were calm, at 1353, no winds were recorded, and at 1453, winds were from 040° true at 9 knots.
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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