19940730033019I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-25 · Taos, NM · July 30, 1994

Date: July 30, 1994 · 14:30 local
Place: Taos, NM
Airport: Taos Municipal Airport
Phase of flight: Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N6304Z
Reported as: Piper PA25
Reported engine: Lycoming O540G1A5
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 800 total10 in this make and model25 in the last 90 days

N6304ZRegistered now · Piper PA-25S/N 25-388 · Built 1960 Airframe modelPiper PA-25 Engine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Narrative: on July 30, 1994, at 14:30 MDT, a Piper PA-25, N6304Z, registered to air saxton leasing, inc., 3115 pine street, suite 803, waco, TX, while on a local familiarization flight, ground looped upon landing. VFR conditions prevailed and a flight plan had not been filed. The aircraft received minor damage to the landing gear and propeller; the pilot, the sole occupant, was uninjured. The pilot holds a commercial certificate with a current 2nd class medical. The flight had originated at Taos Municipal Airport on July 30, 1994, at approximately 14:10 MDT. According to an eye witness, the aircraft when landing assumed a normal flair, as the plane settled the left main gear tended to displace outboard more than normally. The witness turned his attention elsewhere and he heard tires screeching and turned to see the aircraft ground loop. Investigation showed that the left main gear support rod end had failed due to a stress crack that had begun at an earlier time.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: ON JULY 30, 1994, AT 14:30 MDT, A PIPER PA-25, N6304Z, REGISTERED TO AIR SAXTON LEASING, INC., 3115 PINE STREET, SUITE 803, WACO, TX, WHILE ON A LOCAL FAMILIARIZATION FLIGHT, GROUND LOOPED UPON LANDING. VFR CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND A FLIGHT PLAN HAD NOT BEEN FILED. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED MINOR DAMAGE TO THE LANDING GEAR AND PROPELLER; THE PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS UNINJURED. THE PILOT HOLDS A COMMERCIAL CERTIFICATE WITH A CURRENT 2ND CLASS MEDICAL. THE FLIGHT HAD ORIGINATED AT TAOS MUNICIPAL AIRPORT ON JULY 30, 1994, AT APPROXIMATELY 14:10 MDT. ACCORDING TO AN EYE WITNESS, THE AIRCRAFT WHEN LANDING ASSUMED A NORMAL FLAIR, AS THE PLANE SETTLED THE LEFT MAIN GEAR TENDED TO DISPLACE OUTBOARD MORE THAN NORMALLY. THE WITNESS TURNED HIS ATTENTION ELSEWHERE AND HE HEARD TIRES SCREECHING AND TURNED TO SEE THE AIRCRAFT GROUND LOOP. INVESTIGATION SHOWED THAT THE LEFT MAIN GEAR SUPPORT ROD END HAD FAILED DUE TO A STRESS CRACK THAT HAD BEGUN AT AN EARLIER TIME.