# Accident 20060304005739A: Piper PA18135, San Juan, Puerto Rico, March 4, 2006

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 4, 2006, 09:25 local time
- Place: San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Airport: Isla Grande Airport
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 18.2217° N, 66.5909° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=18.2217&lon=-66.5909&mi=10
- Aircraft: N2875D, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N2875D) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-18-135 (registry code 7101820, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-18-135) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming O-360 series (registry code 41575, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA18135
- Reported engine: LYC O360*
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 405 total, 88 in this make and model, 97 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA06CA059](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA06CA059) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20060304005739A

## Narrative

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

(-23) PILOT LANDED AT ISLA GRANDE AIRPORT (SIG) RUNWAY 9 WITH CROSSWIND CONDITIONS OF 180 DEGREES AT 10 KTS GUSTING TO 15. WHE STATED THAT A THREE POINT LANDING WAS MADE USING CROSSWIND TECHNIQUES. AFTER TOUCH DOWN PILOT UNEXPLAINABLY LOST CONTROL AND AIRCRAFT GROUNDLOOPED MAKING A 180 DEGREE TURN (HALF A LOOP). MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED TO THE RIGHT. BY INSPECTING THE LANDING GEAR, IT WAS NOTICED THAT THE LEFT MAIN GEAR SHOCK STRUT ASSEMBLY ROD BROKE HALFWAY BY WEAKENING ITS STRUCTURE AND FURTHER BENDING TO THE RIGHT. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THIS BENDING OCCURRED DUE TO AN ABNORMALLY STRONG SIDE LOAD OF THE RESPECTIVE TIRE EITHER DURING A SINGLE LANDING OR THROUGHOUT A SERIES OF LANDINGS. THE METAL ROD FRACTURE WAS FURTHER AGGRAVATED WHEN ROLLING OVER A 2-INCH DEPRESSION AT RUNWAY'S EDGE DURING THE GROUNDLOOP. BY HAVING A RIGHT SIDE COLLAPSE OF THE MAIN LANDING GEAR THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST ON THE GROUND IN A LEFT ANGLE ATTITUDE MAKING THE LEFT WING TIP TO BEND UPWARD AFTER GROUND CONTACT WAS MADE.

## 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 MIA06CA059](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA06CA059), Mar 4, 2006: Piper PA-18 (N2875D), SanJuan, PR, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing.

## Other reports on N2875D (4)

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

- [Accident 20140413006969A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20140413006969A), Apr 13, 2014: Piper PA-18-135 (N2875D), Aguas Buenas, PR, Substantial damage. On April 13, 2014, airman [privacy data omitted] was conducting a banner tow mission in a PA-18 aircraft, N2875D, over the city of ponce, p.r. after completing…
- [Incident 20110702012779I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20110702012779I), Jul 2, 2011: Piper PA-18-135 (N2875D), Vega Baja, PR, Minor damage. Aircraft N2875D, a Piper PA-18, crashed in Vega Baja, PR, while attempting to land at a private landing strip. Commercial pilot [privacy data omitted] stated…
- [Incident 20090808047759I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20090808047759I), Aug 8, 2009: Piper SUPER CUP (N2875D), Ponce, PR, Minor damage. While intended to pick up a banner, encountered a wind draft and ended up picking up the banner with the main landing gear. When he was landing the aircraft,…
- [Incident 20060825018159I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20060825018159I), Aug 25, 2006: Piper PA18135 (N2875D), San Juan, Puerto Rico, Minor damage. (-23) The mentioned aircraft while taxiing to position and hold for takeoff encountered strong wind that raised the tail, even though the pilot corrected for…

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.
