20110216009669A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-18-150 · Twin Falls, ID · February 16, 2011

Date
February 16, 2011 · 09:21 local
Place
Twin Falls, ID
Phase of flight
Landing: Rollout
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N7153Z
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR11LA136
Reported as
Piper PA-18-150
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
2
Pilot’s certificates
Airline transport, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
45,000 total4,500 in this make and model40 in the last 90 days

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.

On the 16th of February 2011, during a part 135.293(b) flight check for privacy data omitted cert# privacy data omitted and certificate holder of snowy range air LLC (yzva) mr. privacy data omitted Was attempting to land N7153Z a PA-18-150 at the Twin Falls id airport when the aircraft suddenly flipped over onto its top on runway 25 in high wind conditions approximately 1000 feet past the approach end, and within 5-8 feet of the runway centerline. This flight check was a yearly flight check for privacy data omitted and was being administered by FAA inspector privacy data omitted of the boise FSDO (ANM-BOI-FSDO-11), the facts of this accident are as follows:there was discussion between the FAA inspector and the PIC about getting this check ride done because both individuals wanted to get home. The check ride had been cancelled twice. Mr.privacy data omitted Lives in tucson AZ, and the inspector in boise id. The flight originated at the twf airport at 0800 a weather briefing was not obtained; the PIC stated that they were flying a cub in VFR conditions. Reported weather @ 07:53 was temp 45/24, wind 180 @ 20G29, the skywest crew stated that when the cub took off the wind blew the aircraft over and into the ramp area, the skywest crew stated that they hoped the cub had someplace else to go to rather than trying to return, N7153Z flight departed to the north and the air maneuvers were completed upon the arrival back at the airport weather was reported at 0900 was wind 180 @ 21G29. The PIC stated that they would not be doing extra landing because of the high winds. The first landing attempt was aborted when the PIC decided that he would loose directional control when the tail was lowered, a go around was completed and the decided to land on 25 because the runway was 150 foot wide and the crossing runway was 75 foot wide. The tower gave the option of 12 or 25, the second landing was a three point landing, all wheels were on the ground when a gust of wind, reported to be 35-38 lifted the aircraft 3-5 feet, then dropped the aircraft onto the main landing gear where the wind rolled the aircraft onto its top. The pilot reported that they weren't moving any faster than he could walk. Fuel tank cap was broken off and fuel was draining out of the wing on the right side pilots had trouble getting the door open to exit the aircraft, after exiting the pilot and inspector walked to the edge of the runway, both received head lacerations and reported to the hospital treated and released. Multiple witnesses' state seeing the same thing as described previously. The PIC has in excess of 45,000 hours of flight time and 4400 in the accident make and model of aircraft, .the PIC was receiving the part 135 check ride from the back seat and was briefed that he was the PIC, the inspector was in the front. PIC stated that after the check ride was completed, then the inspector would fly to get his currency from the front seat. The Twin Falls tower stated that the accident occurred at 09:21 after the second attempt at landing with the option of runway 12 or 25, they opted for 25. The skywest flight 7802 was holding short for release and witnessed the accident, co-pilot stated that the pilot made a perfect landing and then as the aircraft appeared to be stopped then it flipped over "in slow motion", the tower offered to let the skywest flight depart with the remaining 6500 feet, the crew contacted their dispatch and was released, and departed the airport.

As the FAA filed it

ON THE 16TH OF FEBRUARY 2011, DURING A PART 135.293(B) FLIGHT CHECK FOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CERT# ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND CERTIFICATE HOLDER OF SNOWY RANGE AIR LLC (YZVA) MR. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS ATTEMPTING TO LAND N7153Z A PA-18-150 AT THE TWIN FALLS ID AIRPORT WHEN THE AIRCRAFT SUDDENLY FLIPPED OVER ONTO ITS TOP ON RUNWAY 25 IN HIGH WIND CONDITIONS APPROXIMATELY 1000 FEET PAST THE APPROACH END, AND WITHIN 5-8 FEET OF THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE.THIS FLIGHT CHECK WAS A YEARLY FLIGHT CHECK FOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND WAS BEING ADMINISTERED BY FAA INSPECTOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OF THE BOISE FSDO (ANM-BOI-FSDO-11), THE FACTS OF THIS ACCIDENT ARE AS FOLLOWS:THERE WAS DISCUSSION BETWEEN THE FAA INSPECTOR AND THE PIC ABOUT GETTING THIS CHECK RIDE DONE BECAUSE BOTH INDIVIDUALS WANTED TO GET HOME. THE CHECK RIDE HAD BEEN CANCELLED TWICE. MR.^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ LIVES IN TUCSON AZ, AND THE INSPECTOR IN BOISE ID.THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT THE TWF AIRPORT AT 0800 A WEATHER BRIEFING WAS NOT OBTAINED; THE PIC STATED THAT THEY WERE FLYING A CUB IN VFR CONDITIONS.REPORTED WEATHER @ 07:53 WAS TEMP 45/24, WIND 180 @ 20G29, THE SKYWEST CREW STATED THAT WHEN THE CUB TOOK OFF THE WIND BLEW THE AIRCRAFT OVER AND INTO THE RAMP AREA, THE SKYWEST CREW STATED THAT THEY HOPED THE CUB HAD SOMEPLACE ELSE TO GO TO RATHER THAN TRYING TO RETURN, N7153Z FLIGHT DEPARTED TO THE NORTH AND THE AIR MANEUVERS WERE COMPLETED UPON THE ARRIVAL BACK AT THE AIRPORT WEATHER WAS REPORTED AT 0900 WAS WIND 180 @ 21G29. THE PIC STATED THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE DOING EXTRA LANDING BECAUSE OF THE HIGH WINDS.THE FIRST LANDING ATTEMPT WAS ABORTED WHEN THE PIC DECIDED THAT HE WOULD LOOSE DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WHEN THE TAIL WAS LOWERED, A GO AROUND WAS COMPLETED AND THE DECIDED TO LAND ON 25 BECAUSE THE RUNWAY WAS 150 FOOT WIDE AND THE CROSSING RUNWAY WAS 75 FOOT WIDE. THE TOWER GAVE THE OPTION OF 12 OR 25, THE SECOND LANDING WAS A THREE POINT LANDING, ALL WHEELS WERE ON THE GROUND WHEN A GUST OF WIND, REPORTED TO BE 35-38 LIFTED THE AIRCRAFT 3-5 FEET, THEN DROPPED THE AIRCRAFT ONTO THE MAIN LANDING GEAR WHERE THE WIND ROLLED THE AIRCRAFT ONTO ITS TOP. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THEY WEREN'T MOVING ANY FASTER THAN HE COULD WALK.FUEL TANK CAP WAS BROKEN OFF AND FUEL WAS DRAINING OUT OF THE WING ON THE RIGHT SIDE PILOTS HAD TROUBLE GETTING THE DOOR OPEN TO EXIT THE AIRCRAFT, AFTER EXITING THE PILOT AND INSPECTOR WALKED TO THE EDGE OF THE RUNWAY, BOTH RECEIVED HEAD LACERATIONS AND REPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL TREATED AND RELEASED.MULTIPLE WITNESSES' STATE SEEING THE SAME THING AS DESCRIBED PREVIOUSLY.THE PIC HAS IN EXCESS OF 45,000 HOURS OF FLIGHT TIME AND 4400 IN THE ACCIDENT MAKE AND MODEL OF AIRCRAFT, .THE PIC WAS RECEIVING THE PART 135 CHECK RIDE FROM THE BACK SEAT AND WAS BRIEFED THAT HE WAS THE PIC, THE INSPECTOR WAS IN THE FRONT. PIC STATED THAT AFTER THE CHECK RIDE WAS COMPLETED, THEN THE INSPECTOR WOULD FLY TO GET HIS CURRENCY FROM THE FRONT SEAT. THE TWIN FALLS TOWER STATED THAT THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED AT 09:21 AFTER THE SECOND ATTEMPT AT LANDING WITH THE OPTION OF RUNWAY 12 OR 25, THEY OPTED FOR 25. THE SKYWEST FLIGHT 7802 WAS HOLDING SHORT FOR RELEASE AND WITNESSED THE ACCIDENT, CO-PILOT STATED THAT THE PILOT MADE A PERFECT LANDING AND THEN AS THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO BE STOPPED THEN IT FLIPPED OVER "IN SLOW MOTION", THE TOWER OFFERED TO LET THE SKYWEST FLIGHT DEPART WITH THE REMAINING 6500 FEET, THE CREW CONTACTED THEIR DISPATCH AND WAS RELEASED, AND DEPARTED THE AIRPORT.

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 N7153Z · 2

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