# Accident 19990701007989A: Piper PA22, Billings, MT, July 1, 1999

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 1, 1999, 14:45 local time
- Place: Billings, MT
- Airport: Billings Logan International
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 45.6498° N, 108.3808° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=45.6498&lon=-108.3808&mi=10
- Aircraft: N3513A, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N3513A) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-22 (registry code 7102202, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-22) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-290 series (registry code 41506, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-290-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA22
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB SEA99LA103](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA99LA103) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990701007989A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB SEA99LA103](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA99LA103), Jul 1, 1999: Piper PA-22 (N3513A), Billings, MT, substantial damage. Probable cause: The separation of the left main landing gear shock strut for undetermined reasons.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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