| Crash location | 29.866111°N, 90.022223°W |
| Nearest city | Belle Chase, LA
We couldn't find this city on a map |
| Tail number | N3424Y |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 11 Mar 2012 |
| Aircraft type | Cessna 180H |
| Additional details: | None |
On downwind the pilot noticed that the wind had picked up and that there was light turbulence. He planned to land beyond trees to avoid turbulence. The airplane went through a gust of wind on roll out. The pilot applied rudder and aileron corrections along with heavy braking. The airplane exited the runway and impacted a pipe rack where the airplane sustained substantial damage to its left wing. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that a tailwheel spring, part number 3432, was bent and its spring rate was weak, which allowed the tailwheel's fork to caster freely by not engaging into its machined locking detent.
The bent tailwheel spring that allowed the tailwheel to caster when the airplane encountered a wind gust on landing roll.