20050310005239I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper J5A · Griffin, GA · March 10, 2005

Date: March 10, 2005 · 17:34 local
Place: Griffin, GA
Airport: Griffin-Spalding County Airport
Phase of flight: Takeoff Ground Roll
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N38638
Reported as: Piper J5A
Reported engine: Continental A758
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 600 total

N38638Registration cancelled Mar 23, 2026 · Piper J5AS/N 5-1024 · Built 1941 Airframe modelPiper J5A Engine modelContinental A&C75 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) During the takeoff roll on runway 32, the pilot failed to maintain directional control, and allowed the aircraft to weathervane into the wind. The pilot lost control of the aircraft allowing it to ground loop. The side load forces on the right wheel caused the right main landing gear to break off which caused the right wingtip to contact the ground. The aircraft came to rest upright on the runway. Minor damage occurred to the right wing tip, right main landing gear, and gear struts. The crosswind was approximately 230 degrees at 9 knots at the time of the incident.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL ON RUNWAY 32, THE PILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL, AND ALLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO WEATHERVANE INTO THE WIND. THE PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT ALLOWING IT TO GROUND LOOP. THE SIDE LOAD FORCES ON THE RIGHT WHEEL CAUSED THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR TO BREAK OFF WHICH CAUSED THE RIGHT WINGTIP TO CONTACT THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST UPRIGHT ON THE RUNWAY. MINOR DAMAGE OCCURRED TO THE RIGHT WING TIP, RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR, AND GEAR STRUTS. THE CROSSWIND WAS APPROXIMATELY 230 DEGREES AT 9 KNOTS AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT.