What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On may 11, 2002, at 1450 pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-22-135, N3772A, veered off runway 8 and ground looped while landing at the Reno Stead airport, Reno, Nevada. The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91 of the federal aviation regulations. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The local area personal flight departed from the Reno Stead airport at 1445 to practice takeoffs and landings at the airport. In a telephone interview, the pilot stated that he intended to do a few pattern circuits to practice takeoffs and landings and was using runway 8. The accident happened on the first landing. Just after touchdown, the airplane hit what the pilot described as some sort of hump in the pavement and bounced up in the air again. He added some power to cushion the touchdown and the airplane veered off the runway and into the infield area. It touched down in the dirt and he was unable to regain control before the airplane ground looped. The pilot said he is not certain, but he thinks he may have encountered a gust of wind that helped induce the loss of control. He stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures that preceded the loss of control. A federal aviation administration inspector from the Reno flight standards district office, reported that there is a small hump in the pavement near the approach end of runway 8. (-23) pilot stated that after initial touchdown, he crossed a slight rise on the runway and got airborne again. Attempting to touchdown softly the second time, he applied power. As the aircraft settled it was simultaneously hit by a gust of wind which caused the pilot to lose control on the touchdown and ground looped the aircraft leaving the runway. The landing gear collapsed and the aircraft tipped forward on it's nose. No injuries. Aircraft damage included right gear strut bent, engine firewall buckled, prop bent and scarred, engine cowling bent and cracked, left wing leading edge scraped and right wing bow slightly damaged.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON MAY 11, 2002, AT 1450 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-22-135, N3772A, VEERED OFF RUNWAY 8 AND GROUND LOOPED WHILE LANDING AT THE RENO STEAD AIRPORT, RENO, NEVADA. THE AIRPLANE WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91 OF THE FEDERAL AVIATION REGULATIONS. THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PRIVATE PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE LOCAL AREA PERSONAL FLIGHT DEPARTED FROM THE RENO STEAD AIRPORT AT 1445 TO PRACTICE TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS AT THE AIRPORT. IN A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE INTENDED TO DO A FEW PATTERN CIRCUITS TO PRACTICE TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS AND WAS USING RUNWAY 8. THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED ON THE FIRST LANDING. JUST AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRPLANE HIT WHAT THE PILOT DESCRIBED AS SOME SORT OF HUMP IN THE PAVEMENT AND BOUNCED UP IN THE AIR AGAIN. HE ADDED SOME POWER TO CUSHION THE TOUCHDOWN AND THE AIRPLANE VEERED OFF THE RUNWAY AND INTO THE INFIELD AREA. IT TOUCHED DOWN IN THE DIRT AND HE WAS UNABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL BEFORE THE AIRPLANE GROUND LOOPED. THE PILOT SAID HE IS NOT CERTAIN, BUT HE THINKS HE MAY HAVE ENCOUNTERED A GUST OF WIND THAT HELPED INDUCE THE LOSS OF CONTROL. HE STATED THAT THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILURES THAT PRECEDED THE LOSS OF CONTROL. A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION INSPECTOR FROM THE RENO FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE, REPORTED THAT THERE IS A SMALL HUMP IN THE PAVEMENT NEAR THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 8. (-23) PILOT STATED THAT AFTER INITIAL TOUCHDOWN, HE CROSSED A SLIGHT RISE ON THE RUNWAY AND GOT AIRBORNE AGAIN. ATTEMPTING TO TOUCHDOWN SOFTLY THE SECOND TIME, HE APPLIED POWER. AS THE AIRCRAFT SETTLED IT WAS SIMULTANEOUSLY HIT BY A GUST OF WIND WHICH CAUSED THE PILOT TO LOSE CONTROL ON THE TOUCHDOWN AND GROUND LOOPED THE AIRCRAFT LEAVING THE RUNWAY. THE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED AND THE AIRCRAFT TIPPED FORWARD ON IT'S NOSE. NO INJURIES. AIRCRAFT DAMAGE INCLUDED RIGHT GEAR STRUT BENT, ENGINE FIREWALL BUCKLED, PROP BENT AND SCARRED, ENGINE COWLING BENT AND CRACKED, LEFT WING LEADING EDGE SCRAPED AND RIGHT WING BOW SLIGHTLY DAMAGED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N3772A · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.