# Accident 20010113000239A: Piper PA22150, Atwater, CA, January 13, 2001

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 13, 2001, 16:30 local time
- Place: Atwater, CA
- Airport: Castle Afb
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 37.3806° N, 120.5681° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.3806&lon=-120.5681&mi=10
- Aircraft: N3854P, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N3854P) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-22-150 (registry code 7102210, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-22-150) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA22150
- Reported engine: LYC O320*
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 3,470 total, 5 in this make and model, 102 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX01LA077](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX01LA077) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010113000239A

## Narrative

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

(-23) THE OWNER AND PILOT, DR. CORRELL A. COUCH, INDICATED THAT HE WAS CONDUCTING TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS ON RUNWAY 31 AT CASTLE. UPON COMPLETING THE LAST LANDING BEFORE THE ACCIDENT, HE WAS ROLLING OUT WHEN THE NOSE SWERVED TO THE LEFT. DR. COUCH STATED HE TRIED TO CORRECT WITH RIGHT RUDDER BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE A/C ONTINUED TO THE LEFT, BREAKING OFF THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR. THE WING CAME IN CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY AND THE A/C CAME TO A STOP. THERE WAS AN INSTRUCTOR ON BOARD, A MR.ALLEN PALMER. MR. PALMER ALSO DESCRIBED THE ACCIDENT AS HAVING OCCURRED AFTER THE LANDING DURING THE ROLL OUT. HE DID INDICATE THEY HAD COMPLETED A WHEEL LANDING AND THOUGHT THE TAIL WHEEL HAD TOUCHED DOWN WHEN THE LOSS OF CONTROL OCCURRED. WHEN QUESTIONED AS TO THE CAUSE, MR. PALMER THOUGHT IT WAS DUE TO A GUST OF WIND. DAMAGE WAS TO THE RIGHT GEAR, PROPELLER, AND RIGHT WING AND WING TIP. THERE WERE NO INJURIES.   (.4) DURING AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT, THE PILOT HANDLING THE FLIGHT CONTROLS GROUND LOOPED HIS AIRPLANE WHILE LANDING ON RUNWAY 31. PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, THE PILOT HAD SUCCESSFULLY PERFORMED A SERIES OF TAKEOFFS AND 3-POINT LANDINGS UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF HIS FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR. HOWEVER, A WIND GUS T WAS ENCOUNTERED DURING THE PILOT'S LAST LANDING. THE PILOT INDICATED THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL, THE AIRPLANE VEERED LEFT, THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED, AND THE RIGHT WING CONTACTED THE RUNWAY SURFACE AND BROKE. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR INDICATED THAT, AT THE TIME, THE WIND WAS FROM THE SOUTHWEST AT 10 KNOTS, WITH 15-KNOT GUSTS. THE PILOT HELD A COMMERCIAL PILOT CERTIFICATE AND HAD ABOUT 5,000 HOURS OF FLIGHT TIME, BUT ONLY ABOUT 2 HOURS IN HIS RECENTLY PURCHASED TAIL WHEEL EQUIPPED AIRPLANE. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, WHOM THE PILOT HIRED TO CHECK HIM OUT, HAD 3,469.7 HOURS OF FLIGHT TIME. HOWEVER, HIS FLYING EXPERIENCE IN THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE WAS 5 HOURS. RUNWAY 31 IS 11,802 FEET LONG AND 300 FEET WIDE.

## 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 LAX01LA077](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX01LA077), Jan 14, 2001: Piper PA-22-150 (N3854P), Atwater, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The student's failure to maintain directional control while landing in a crosswind, his improper compensation for wind conditions, and the flight instructor's inadequate flight supervision.

## Other reports on N3854P (1)

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

- [Accident 20110423010339A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20110423010339A), Apr 23, 2011: Piper PA-22-150 (N3854P), Crosby, ND, Substantial damage. Crosswind landing. Aircraft ground looped and exited the runway.

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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