OpenAirDocs.org

20190923013579A

Accident · Substantial damage
Open the Markdown

FAA accident report · Piper PA-18-150 · Boulder, CO · September 23, 2019

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
September 23, 2019 · 14:20 local
Place
Boulder, CO
Airport
Boulder Municipal
Phase of flight
Landing: Rollout
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N4785F
NTSB investigation
NTSBGAA19CA572
Reported as
Piper PA-18-150
Reported engine
Lycoming O&VO-360 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Airline transport, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
20,382 total24 in this make and model58 in the last 90 days
N4785FRegistered now · Piper PA-18-150S/N 18-7906 · Built 1962Airframe modelPiper PA-18-150Engine modelLycoming O&VO-360 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.

The PIC stated that on September 23, 2019 at approximately 1400 local, he had a stabilized approach to runway 08 at kbdu in Boulder, CO. The pilot stated and it was confirmed that winds were calm at the time of the accident. The pilot stated that the landing was normal and then for an unknown reason he lost directional control of the aircraft resulting in a ground loop. Visual observations of the aircraft show expected ground loop damage.

Slight scuff marks on the left hand main tire outboard sidewall and minor damage to the outboard wheel half rim.

Damage at the left hand wing tip with the trailing edge of the wing tip bend upward with probable damage to the aft spar.

Torn fabric on the lower surface of the trailing edge of the wing tips exposing the internal structure of the wing.

Visible wrinkling in the upper left wing fabric, trailing edge of the wing inboard of the upper aileron cable feed through.

Damage to the left hand aileron, visible crease at the aileron upper cable attach point with the outboard of the attach point deflecting upward.

Minor scrap damage to the lower outboard trailing edge of the left hand elevator, and

Damage to the rudder with the lower 1/3 of the rudder deflecting to the right.

No other notable observations after looking at the tailwheel, brakes, rudder pedals, heel brakes and master cylinders.

As the FAA filed it

THE PIC STATED THAT ON SEPTEMBER 23, 2019 AT APPROXIMATELY 1400 LOCAL, HE HAD A STABILIZED APPROACH TO RUNWAY 08 AT KBDU IN BOULDER, CO. THE PILOT STATED AND IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT WINDS WERE CALM AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE LANDING WAS NORMAL AND THEN FOR AN UNKNOWN REASON HE LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT RESULTING IN A GROUND LOOP. VISUAL OBSERVATIONS OF THE AIRCRAFT SHOW EXPECTED GROUND LOOP DAMAGE.

SLIGHT SCUFF MARKS ON THE LEFT HAND MAIN TIRE OUTBOARD SIDEWALL AND MINOR DAMAGE TO THE OUTBOARD WHEEL HALF RIM.

DAMAGE AT THE LEFT HAND WING TIP WITH THE TRAILING EDGE OF THE WING TIP BEND UPWARD WITH PROBABLE DAMAGE TO THE AFT SPAR.

TORN FABRIC ON THE LOWER SURFACE OF THE TRAILING EDGE OF THE WING TIPS EXPOSING THE INTERNAL STRUCTURE OF THE WING.

VISIBLE WRINKLING IN THE UPPER LEFT WING FABRIC, TRAILING EDGE OF THE WING INBOARD OF THE UPPER AILERON CABLE FEED THROUGH.

DAMAGE TO THE LEFT HAND AILERON, VISIBLE CREASE AT THE AILERON UPPER CABLE ATTACH POINT WITH THE OUTBOARD OF THE ATTACH POINT DEFLECTING UPWARD.

MINOR SCRAP DAMAGE TO THE LOWER OUTBOARD TRAILING EDGE OF THE LEFT HAND ELEVATOR, AND

DAMAGE TO THE RUDDER WITH THE LOWER 1/3 OF THE RUDDER DEFLECTING TO THE RIGHT.

NO OTHER NOTABLE OBSERVATIONS AFTER LOOKING AT THE TAILWHEEL, BRAKES, RUDDER PEDALS, HEEL BRAKES AND MASTER CYLINDERS.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB GAA19CA572Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportBoulder, COThe pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll, which resulted in a ground loop.Sep 23, 2019 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N4785F · 3

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

Accident 20150316003149ALanding: Touchdown · Boulder, COOn 03/16/2015 at 0815 hrs MDT,N4785F a Piper PA-18-150 was damaged when the aircraft left the runway an impacted a berm. Single pilot was uninjured. Weather at the time was VMC.Mar 16, 2015 · Substantial damageAccident 20000708010469AErie, CO(-23) Pilot terry was checking pilot mainero out in the glider club's tow plane and during landing mainero lost control of the aircraft. Pilot terry took control of aircraft but it was too late and aircraft ground looped damaging the wing.Jul 8, 2000 · No damageAccident 19990701007999ABoulder, COAcft flipped over on landing, other circumstances are unknown. (-23)no narrativeJul 1, 1999 · Substantial damage