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19980609012849A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-16 · Anchorage, AK · June 9, 1998

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 9, 1998 · 12:33 local
Place
Anchorage, AK
Airport
Merrill Field Airport
Phase of flight
Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N5280H
NTSB investigation
NTSBANC98LA068
Reported as
Piper PA16
Reported engine
Lycoming O235C1
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
3,000 total25,000 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days
N5280HRegistration cancelled Dec 1, 2018 · Piper PA-16S/N 16-84Airframe modelPiper PA-16Engine modelLycoming 0-290 series4 cycle

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.

Ground looped off runway landing. Damaged left wing. Collapsed left main gear.(-23) on June 9, 1998, about 1233 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped Piper PA-16 airplane, N5280H, sustained substantial damage during landing at Merrill field, Anchorage, Alaska. The certificated commercial pilot and two passengers were not injured. The pilot stated "it was a simple ground loop. I just lost it." Witnesse's reported that the aircraft landed on runway 24, rolled out for about 300 feet and ground looped to the left. The airplane's left main landing gear collapsed, the left wing struck the ground, and the airplane came to rest off the right side of the runway. The airplane sustained damage to the left wing and fuselage. The Merrill field weather at the time of the accident was: wind, 240 degrees (magnetic) at 10 knots; visibility, 10 statue miles; clouds, 7500 broken; temperature, 55 degrees f; altimeter, 29.75 in hg. (From .4) the certificated commercial pilot was landing on runway 24 in a tailwheel equipped airplane on a paved runway. The pilot stated that just after touchdown, a sudden wind shift caused him to lose directional control, and the airplane ground looped to the right. During the ground loop the left main landing gear collapsed, and the left wing struck the ground. The airplane came to rest off the right side of the runway, and sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. Merrill field wind conditions at the time of the accident were reported to be from 216 degrees (magnetic) at 8 knots.

As the FAA filed it

GROUND LOOPED OFF RUNWAY LANDING. DAMAGED LEFT WING. COLLAPSED LEFT MAIN GEAR.(-23) ON JUNE 9, 1998, ABOUT 1233 ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME, A WHEEL EQUIPPED PIPER PA-16 AIRPLANE, N5280H, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING LANDING AT MERRILL FIELD, ANCHORAGE, ALASKA. THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED. THE PILOT STATED "IT WAS A SIMPLE GROUND LOOP. I JUST LOST IT." WITNESSE'S REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT LANDED ON RUNWAY 24, ROLLED OUT FOR ABOUT 300 FEET AND GROUND LOOPED TO THE LEFT. THE AIRPLANE'S LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED, THE LEFT WING STRUCK THE GROUND, AND THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING AND FUSELAGE. THE MERRILL FIELD WEATHER AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS: WIND, 240 DEGREES (MAGNETIC) AT 10 KNOTS; VISIBILITY, 10 STATUE MILES; CLOUDS, 7500 BROKEN; TEMPERATURE, 55 DEGREES F; ALTIMETER, 29.75 IN HG. (FROM .4) THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS LANDING ON RUNWAY 24 IN A TAILWHEEL EQUIPPED AIRPLANE ON A PAVED RUNWAY. THE PILOT STATED THAT JUST AFTER TOUCHDOWN, A SUDDEN WIND SHIFT CAUSED HIM TO LOSE DIRECTIONAL CONTROL, AND THE AIRPLANE GROUND LOOPED TO THE RIGHT. DURING THE GROUND LOOP THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED, AND THE LEFT WING STRUCK THE GROUND. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, AND SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING AND FUSELAGE. MERRILL FIELD WIND CONDITIONS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WERE REPORTED TO BE FROM 216 DEGREES (MAGNETIC) AT 8 KNOTS.

NTSB investigation

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

NTSB ANC98LA068Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportAnchorage, AKThe pilot's inadvertent ground loop.Jun 9, 1998 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N5280H · 2

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

Accident 20060819017899ATakeoff · Chugiak, AK(-23) A float equipped Piper PA-16 departed mirror lake airport one mile north of eagle river Alaska with the pilot [privacy data omitted], wife and family dog. During takeoff at appr. 200 feet the aircraft stalled and crashed in a wooded area. Witness stated…Aug 19, 2006 · Substantial damageAccident 20010720039839ARoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Anchorage, AK(-23) On June 20, 2001 at 1315 adt, a wheel equipped Piper PA-16 airplane, N5280H, sustained substantial damage during landing at Merrill field, Anchorage Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal flight under title 14…Jul 20, 2001 · Substantial damage