# Accident 19991111031729A: Piper PA22135, Houston, TX, November 11, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: November 11, 1999, 17:30 local time - Place: Houston, TX - Airport: May Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Takeoff Ground Roll - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 30.0893° N, 95.6102° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.0893&lon=-95.6102&mi=10 - Aircraft: N3311B, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N3311B) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-22-135 (registry code 7102206, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-22-135) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming 0-290 series (registry code 41506, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-290-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA22135 - Reported engine: LYC O320* - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 155 total, 24 in this make and model, 24 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW00LA031](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW00LA031) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19991111031729A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19) ON NOVEMBER 11, 1999, AT 1730 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-22-135 SINGLE-ENGINE AIRPLANE, N3311B, OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING TAKEOFF ROLL AT THE MAY AIRPORT NEAR ROSE HILL, TEXAS. THE PRIVATE PILOT, SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE WEISER AIR PARK AIRPORT NEAR HOUSTON, TEXAS, AT 1700. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE WAS PRACTICING TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS ON RUNWAY 35, AND HAD COMPLETED TWO LANDINGS. DURING THE ENSUING TAKEOFF ROLL, THE PILOT LOOKED DOWN TO CHECK THE FLAP POSITION AND INADVERTENTLY PUSHED THE LEFT RUDDER PEDAL. THE AIRPLANE VEERED TO THE LEFT, AND THE PILOT MADE A CORRECTION TO THE RIGHT AND "PULLED BACK ON THE THROTTLE." SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRCRAFT "GROUND LOOPED" WHICH RESULTED IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING AND LEFT ELEVATOR. (.4)THE PILOT WAS PRACTICING TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS ON RUNWAY 35, AND HAD COMPLETED TWO LANDINGS. DURING THE ENSUING TAKEOFF ROLL, THE PILOT LOOKED DOWN TO CHECK THE FLAP POSITION AND INADVERTENTLY PUSHED THE LEFT RUDDER PEDAL. THE AIRPLANE VEERED TO THE LEFT, AND THE PILOT MADE A CORRECTION TO THE RIGHT AND 'PULLED BACK ON THE THROTTLE.' SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRCRAFT 'GROUND LOOPED' WHICH RESULTED IN THE LEFT WING AND LEFT ELEVATOR CONTACTING THE GRASS RUNWAY. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE WIND WAS FROM 360 DEGREES AT 2-5 KNOTS. (-23)WHILE DOING FULL STOP LANDING ON RUNWAY 35 AT MAY AIRPORT (T51), ^PRIVACY DAT^ HAD MADE A LANDING AND APPLIED TAKE OFF POWER WHEN HE LOST LATERAL CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT RIGHT WING LIFTED TO THE POINT TO WHERE THE LEFT WING CONTACTED THE GROUND, ALSO THE ELEVATOR MADE CONTACT WITH THE GROUND. THE LEFT WING WAS BENT UP AT ABOUT A 30 DEGREE ANGLE AT THE STRUT ATTACH POINTS, THE LEFT ELEVATOR WAS ALSO BENT UP APPROXIMATELY 30 DEGREES AT THE OUTER MOST HINGE. ## 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 FTW00LA031](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW00LA031), Nov 11, 1999: Piper PA-22-135 (N3311B), Rose Hill, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during takeoff roll, which resulted in an inadvertent ground loop. ## Other reports on N3311B (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 19960303004429A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960303004429A), Mar 3, 1996: Piper PA22135 (N3311B), Cocoa, FL, Substantial damage. Lost control landing due crosswind gust from break in tree line. Exited runway into a ditch and nosed over. 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.