What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft crashed on landing and sustained substantial damage, other circumstances are unknown. (.19) on July 1, 1999, approximately 1445 mountain daylight time, a tailwheel equipped Piper PA-22, N3513A, registered to and being flown by a private pilot, was substantially damaged during the collapse of the left main landing gear on landing rollout at the Billings international airport, Billings, Montana. The pilot and passenger were uninjured. Visual meteorological conditions existed, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight, which was personal, was to have been operated under 14CFR91, and originated from helena, Montana, at 1234. The pilot reported that upon touchdown on runway 28R the aircraft began to drift left, and right rudder was applied to correct with no effect. As the drift continued, the pilot applied right brake, increasing brake pressure until he "was pushing against the seat." The aircraft continued to veer left, tightening its turn radius until it had rotated more than 180 degrees counter-clockwise. During the rotation, the aircraft settled to the left in line with the runway lights and came to a stop. The pilot and passenger exited and noted the left main lan ding gear separated from its bungee (shock strut,) but still attached to the airframe. The pilot reported that the PA-22 had been converted to a tailwheel configuration, and that he had approx. 400 hours of flight experience in this configuation. A post-crash examination of the left wheel and brake assembly are to follow. (-23)during a landing on runway 28R at Billings Logan airport, Billings, Montana, the aircraft ground looped. During the ground loop the bungie on the left gear failed and the aircraft received damage to a longeron in the gear attach point area.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT CRASHED ON LANDING AND SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (.19) ON JULY 1, 1999, APPROXIMATELY 1445 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, A TAILWHEEL EQUIPPED PIPER PA-22, N3513A, REGISTERED TO AND BEING FLOWN BY A PRIVATE PILOT, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING THE COLLAPSE OF THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR ON LANDING ROLLOUT AT THE BILLINGS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, BILLINGS, MONTANA. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE UNINJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS EXISTED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE FLIGHT, WHICH WAS PERSONAL, WAS TO HAVE BEEN OPERATED UNDER 14CFR91, AND ORIGINATED FROM HELENA, MONTANA, AT 1234. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT UPON TOUCHDOWN ON RUNWAY 28R THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO DRIFT LEFT, AND RIGHT RUDDER WAS APPLIED TO CORRECT WITH NO EFFECT. AS THE DRIFT CONTINUED, THE PILOT APPLIED RIGHT BRAKE, INCREASING BRAKE PRESSURE UNTIL HE "WAS PUSHING AGAINST THE SEAT." THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO VEER LEFT, TIGHTENING ITS TURN RADIUS UNTIL IT HAD ROTATED MORE THAN 180 DEGREES COUNTER-CLOCKWISE. DURING THE ROTATION, THE AIRCRAFT SETTLED TO THE LEFT IN LINE WITH THE RUNWAY LIGHTS AND CAME TO A STOP. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER EXITED AND NOTED THE LEFT MAIN LAN DING GEAR SEPARATED FROM ITS BUNGEE (SHOCK STRUT,) BUT STILL ATTACHED TO THE AIRFRAME. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE PA-22 HAD BEEN CONVERTED TO A TAILWHEEL CONFIGURATION, AND THAT HE HAD APPROX. 400 HOURS OF FLIGHT EXPERIENCE IN THIS CONFIGUATION. A POST-CRASH EXAMINATION OF THE LEFT WHEEL AND BRAKE ASSEMBLY ARE TO FOLLOW. (-23)DURING A LANDING ON RUNWAY 28R AT BILLINGS LOGAN AIRPORT, BILLINGS, MONTANA, THE AIRCRAFT GROUND LOOPED. DURING THE GROUND LOOP THE BUNGIE ON THE LEFT GEAR FAILED AND THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED DAMAGE TO A LONGERON IN THE GEAR ATTACH POINT AREA.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.