# Accident 20200101010009A: Piper PA-18-150, Kerrville, TX, January 1, 2020 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: January 1, 2020, 11:00 local time - Place: Kerrville, TX - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 30.0383° N, 99.1311° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Kerrville, TX, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.0383&lon=-99.1311&mi=10 - Aircraft: N530AK, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N530AK) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-18-150 (registry code 7101828, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-18-150) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Amateur-built UNKNOWN ENG (registry code 99999, https://openairdocs.org/engine/amateur-built-unknown-eng) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA-18-150 - Reported engine: AMA/EXPR UNKNOWN ENG - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Private pilot - Pilot flight hours: 2,200 total, 53 in this make and model - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20200101010009A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ON 11/23/2019 THE PILOT BEGAN MAKING CALLS 10 MILES EAST OF THE AIRPORT (KERV) AND MADE NO FEWER THAN FOUR POSITION REPORTS PRIOR TO REACHING THE AIRPORT ENVIRONMENT. PILOT MADE POSITION REPORTS AS HE CROSSED MID-FIELD, TURNED DOWN WIND, BASE AND ON FINAL. THE APPROACH WAS NORMAL AND STABILIZED. THERE WAS NO TURBULENCE OR WIND SHEAR ON THE FINAL APPROACH COURSE SO PILOT DECIDED UPON LANDING IN A THREE-POINT CONFIGURATION RATHER THAN A WHEEL LANDING. THE PILOT PREFERRED THREE POINT LANDINGS WHEN THE WIND IS CALM OR THERE IS LITTLE TO NO CROSS WIND AS WAS REPORTED BY THE AUTOMATIC SYSTEM IN THIS CASE. THIS WAS AN ERROR ON PILOTS PART AND HE STATED HE KNEW THAT THE WINDS ARE UNPREDICTABLE AT KERV. THE APPROACH WAS FULLY STABILIZED UNTIL HE WAS JUST ABOUT ONE TO TWO FEET OFF THE RUNWAY AND RIGHT AT STALL SPEED WHEN PILOT ENCOUNTERED AN UNEXPECTED WIND GUST FROM THE LEFT WHICH CAUSED THE PLANE TO WEATHER VANE AND WAS PUSHED RIGHT OF CENTER LINE. THE PILOT REACTION WAS RIGHT RUDDER AND LEFT AILERON AND THE PLANE STALLED ONTO THE LEFT LANDING GEAR WITH A SIDE DRIFT AND WITHOUT BEING ALIGNED WITH THE CENTER LINE. THE SHOCK ON THE LEFT LANDING GEAR BROKE ON IMPACT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS EQUIPPED WITH SAFETY CABLES ON THE CUB SO THE LANDING GEAR SPLAYED CAUSING THE PLANE TO BEGIN A RIGHT-HAND TURN. PILOTS IMMEDIATE THOUGHT WAS THAT HE WOULD SIMPLY ROLL INTO THE GRASS BUT UNFORTUNATELY THE TAIL WHEEL BROKE LOOSE AND SO ALL DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WAS LOST AND THE GROUND LOOP ENSUED. THE LEFT WING TOUCHED THE GROUND AND WAS BENT OUTSIDE THE STRUTS. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE, PROP, HORIZONTAL STABILIZER, ELEVATORS, VERTICAL STABILIZER, RUDDER OR TAIL WHEEL. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE PILOT OR PASSENGER. ## NTSB investigation None matched to this report by aircraft and date. Search the NTSB's own records: https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-main-public/basic-search ## Other reports on N530AK (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 20190531011179A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20190531011179A), May 31, 2019: Piper PA-18-150 (N530AK), Sparta, IL, Substantial damage. The PIC stated that he was on rollout from the landing with a slight cross wind. He stated that his right tire gripped the pavement more than the left tire and… 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.