19980125000549A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Child S1PITTS · Prescott, AZ · January 25, 1998

Date
January 25, 1998 · 09:55 local
Place
Prescott, AZ
Airport
Ernest A Love Field
Phase of flight
Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N28K
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX98LA077
Reported as
Child S1PITTS
Reported engine
Lycoming O320*
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
4,280 total12 in this make and model15 in the last 90 days

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.

(.4)On janary 25, 1998, at 0955 hours mountain standard time a pitts S1, N28K, ground looped during the landing roll at the Prescott, Arizona, airport. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, and the pilot was not injured. The aircraft departed Prescott at 0930 for a local area personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and included calm wind conditions. The pilot stated that he performed a short approach and a long landing on runway 21L to minimize the taxi distance. As he was approaching the turn off to the taxiway, the nose started to drift right in the direction of the turn off. He said he attempted to stop the drift with left rudder, with no effect. He stated that the slow turn increased in rate and he applied left brake, but to no avail. The airplane tilted left and the left wing tip struck the ground. A review of the pilot's flight time as shown in his report noted that he had approximatley 11.5 hours of flight time in this make and model of airplane. The special surface weather observation taken by the air traffic control tower immediately after the accident reported calm wind conditions. (-23) pilot ground looped aircraft during landing at prc.

As the FAA filed it

(.4)ON JANARY 25, 1998, AT 0955 HOURS MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME A PITTS S1, N28K, GROUND LOOPED DURING THE LANDING ROLL AT THE PRESCOTT, ARIZONA, AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, AND THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED PRESCOTT AT 0930 FOR A LOCAL AREA PERSONAL FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND INCLUDED CALM WIND CONDITIONS. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE PERFORMED A SHORT APPROACH AND A LONG LANDING ON RUNWAY 21L TO MINIMIZE THE TAXI DISTANCE. AS HE WAS APPROACHING THE TURN OFF TO THE TAXIWAY, THE NOSE STARTED TO DRIFT RIGHT IN THE DIRECTION OF THE TURN OFF. HE SAID HE ATTEMPTED TO STOP THE DRIFT WITH LEFT RUDDER, WITH NO EFFECT. HE STATED THAT THE SLOW TURN INCREASED IN RATE AND HE APPLIED LEFT BRAKE, BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE AIRPLANE TILTED LEFT AND THE LEFT WING TIP STRUCK THE GROUND. A REVIEW OF THE PILOT'S FLIGHT TIME AS SHOWN IN HIS REPORT NOTED THAT HE HAD APPROXIMATLEY 11.5 HOURS OF FLIGHT TIME IN THIS MAKE AND MODEL OF AIRPLANE. THE SPECIAL SURFACE WEATHER OBSERVATION TAKEN BY THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE ACCIDENT REPORTED CALM WIND CONDITIONS. (-23) PILOT GROUND LOOPED AIRCRAFT DURING LANDING AT PRC.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

Other reports on N28K · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.