# Incident 20140816015289I: Piper PA-22-108, Opheim, MT, August 16, 2014

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 16, 2014, 14:00 local time
- Place: Opheim, MT
- Airport: Opheim
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Taxi
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 48.8667° N, 106.4173° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at OPHEIM (S00), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=48.8667&lon=-106.4173&mi=10
- Aircraft: N4709Z, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4709Z-2018-04-19) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-22-108 (registry code 7102204, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-22-108) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-235 series (registry code 41505, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-235-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-22-108
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-235 SERIES
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 300 total, 1 in this make and model, 1 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20140816015289I

## Narrative

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

NOTE 1: THE PILOT HAS HAD 0 HOURS IN MAKE/MODEL, IN THE LAST 90 DAYS AND IN THE LAST YEAR. THE SYSTEM DOES NOT ALLOW THIS TO BE ENTERED, SO I AM NOTING IT CORRECTLY HERE.

NOTE 2: TIMES, HEADINGS, MEASUREMENTS & ALTITUDES ARE APPROXIMATE. THE WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE CLEAR SKIES, A LIGHT VARIABLE BREEZE, & WARM, REPORTED BY OTHER PEOPLE AT THE SCENE. THE RUNWAY IS A GRASS RUNWAY WITH WARNINGS ABOUT GOPHER HOLES ON THE RUNWAYS.  THE PILOT WAS WEARING HIS SEAT BELT; BUT NO SHOULDER HARNESSES WERE INSTALLED IN THIS AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TAXIING ON THE RUNWAY IN OPHEIM, MT. THE PILOT STATED HE DID NOT INTEND ON FLYING, BUT WAS ONLY TAXIING FOR FAMILIARITY. THE PILOT HAD TAXIED TO ONE END OF THE RUNWAY AND WAS TAXIING BACK WHEN THE AIRCRAFT ROTATED FORWARD ON THE NOSE STRUT, ENDING UP INVERTED. THE TOP OF THE RUDDER WAS BENT WITH SOME DAMAGE TRANSMITTED TO THE UPPER HINGE POINT AREA. THE LEFT LIFT STRUTS WERE BENT ABOUT MIDPOINT, THERE WAS SLIGHT DAMAGE ON THE LEFT WING TIP, ONE PROP BLADE WAS BENT BACK, THE NOSE GEAR WAS BENT SLIGHTLY BACK AND TO THE RIGHT, WITH THE NOSE GEAR WHEEL ASSEMBLY ROTATED TO ALMOST 90 DEGREES, WELL BEYOND THE NORMAL TRAVEL STOPS, AND THE TOP COWLING IS DISPLACED AT BOTH THE FORWARD AND AFT EDGES. FUEL WAS COMING OUT OF THE FUEL TANKS WHILE IT WAS UPSIDE DOWN. THE GRASS AND DIRT DISTURBED BY THE NOSE TIRE FOR THE NOSE GEAR WAS WIDER THAN THE NOSE WHEEL TIRE ROLLING IN DIRECTION OF TRAVEL, WITH TWO SPOTS AT THE END OF THE DISTURBED DIRT AND GRASS THAT ARE DEEPER AND SEEM TO MATCH A PROP BLADE. THE ONLY INJURY THE PILOT HAD WAS CUTS ON HIS HEAD, HE DID NOT GO TO A HOSPITAL, BUT WENT HOME AND TREATED THEM HIMSELF.  THE PILOT WAS NOT CURRENT FOR FLYING, AND DID NOT HAVE A CURRENT MEDICAL. THE BOLT THAT SECURES THE STEERING HORN TO THE TOP OF THE STRUT HAD BROKEN ON THE HEAD SIDE, AND THE NUT END OF THE BOLT (NUT STILL ATTACHED) HAD BACKED OUT ALLOWING THE STEERING HORN TO DISENGAGE FROM THE TOP OF THE STRUT.

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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