What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 07/10/2022, at approximately 2010 (z), a Piper PA22 did a ground loop after landing on runway 32 at Fitchburg airport (kfit). The weather at the time of incident according to recorded METAR data was VRB04KT 10SM clr 25/04.
The iic was notified of the incident on 07/18/2022, and contacted the pilot on the same day. Due to the pilot?s availability the iic was unable to document the scene, observe the aircraft damage and review logbooks until 08/04/2022.
The pilot gave the iic a signed statement of the incident in which they explained performing two patterns and two full-stop landings, making note of the lack of tail wheel shimmy that was noticed on occasion in the past year. The pilot stated that on the third landing on runway 32, the aircraft settled harder due to a puff of wind, and had a tail wheel shimmy. The pilot then detailed how they induced various control inputs to stop this, and was distracted enough by the shimmy to not maintain a straight track on the runway, and departed the runway pavement on the left side in a ground loop. According to the pilot, the right aircraft tire dug into the dirt and subsequently separated the tire bead from the rim, with the aircraft tilting onto the right wingtip and nose. The damage to the tire assembly, nose cone, and wing were verified by the iic and substantiates statement. According to the pilot, the aircraft then settled back onto the gear. The pilot stated they closed fuel valves, and shut off electrical and ignition before departing aircraft.
The wing damage was localized to the outer half of the right wing, bent at an upward angle. The owner stated they had removed the outer 3 feet of the lower wing surface fabric prior to the iic investigation, which was substantiated when obeserved/photographed. Three ribs were observed as being damaged, with the right wing spar buckled between 4th and 5th rib (from the wingtip). The right position light was also damaged.
The propeller had signs of grass contact on both blades, with one blade having dirt, moderate lateral scoring and gouging on leading edge near the tip. The nose cone was dented in, with no lateral marks noted, suggesting prop was not turning when the aircraft tilted. The right main gear showed the tire on the rim with the bead broken free from the rim. No other signs of damage to main gear was noted. Examination of tail wheel assembly for proper pressure, tire wear, excessive play in parts, lubrication and spring geometry revealed no issues.
No discrepancies were noted in the maintenance records, and iic verified tail-wheel endorsement and bi-annual review currency.
As the FAA filed it
ON 07/10/2022, AT APPROXIMATELY 2010 (Z), A PIPER PA22 DID A GROUND LOOP AFTER LANDING ON RUNWAY 32 AT FITCHBURG AIRPORT (KFIT). THE WEATHER AT THE TIME OF INCIDENT ACCORDING TO RECORDED METAR DATA WAS VRB04KT 10SM CLR 25/04.
THE IIC WAS NOTIFIED OF THE INCIDENT ON 07/18/2022, AND CONTACTED THE PILOT ON THE SAME DAY. DUE TO THE PILOT?S AVAILABILITY THE IIC WAS UNABLE TO DOCUMENT THE SCENE, OBSERVE THE AIRCRAFT DAMAGE AND REVIEW LOGBOOKS UNTIL 08/04/2022.
THE PILOT GAVE THE IIC A SIGNED STATEMENT OF THE INCIDENT IN WHICH THEY EXPLAINED PERFORMING TWO PATTERNS AND TWO FULL-STOP LANDINGS, MAKING NOTE OF THE LACK OF TAIL WHEEL SHIMMY THAT WAS NOTICED ON OCCASION IN THE PAST YEAR. THE PILOT STATED THAT ON THE THIRD LANDING ON RUNWAY 32, THE AIRCRAFT SETTLED HARDER DUE TO A PUFF OF WIND, AND HAD A TAIL WHEEL SHIMMY. THE PILOT THEN DETAILED HOW THEY INDUCED VARIOUS CONTROL INPUTS TO STOP THIS, AND WAS DISTRACTED ENOUGH BY THE SHIMMY TO NOT MAINTAIN A STRAIGHT TRACK ON THE RUNWAY, AND DEPARTED THE RUNWAY PAVEMENT ON THE LEFT SIDE IN A GROUND LOOP. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE RIGHT AIRCRAFT TIRE DUG INTO THE DIRT AND SUBSEQUENTLY SEPARATED THE TIRE BEAD FROM THE RIM, WITH THE AIRCRAFT TILTING ONTO THE RIGHT WINGTIP AND NOSE. THE DAMAGE TO THE TIRE ASSEMBLY, NOSE CONE, AND WING WERE VERIFIED BY THE IIC AND SUBSTANTIATES STATEMENT. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE AIRCRAFT THEN SETTLED BACK ONTO THE GEAR. THE PILOT STATED THEY CLOSED FUEL VALVES, AND SHUT OFF ELECTRICAL AND IGNITION BEFORE DEPARTING AIRCRAFT.
THE WING DAMAGE WAS LOCALIZED TO THE OUTER HALF OF THE RIGHT WING, BENT AT AN UPWARD ANGLE. THE OWNER STATED THEY HAD REMOVED THE OUTER 3 FEET OF THE LOWER WING SURFACE FABRIC PRIOR TO THE IIC INVESTIGATION, WHICH WAS SUBSTANTIATED WHEN OBESERVED/PHOTOGRAPHED. THREE RIBS WERE OBSERVED AS BEING DAMAGED, WITH THE RIGHT WING SPAR BUCKLED BETWEEN 4TH AND 5TH RIB (FROM THE WINGTIP). THE RIGHT POSITION LIGHT WAS ALSO DAMAGED.
THE PROPELLER HAD SIGNS OF GRASS CONTACT ON BOTH BLADES, WITH ONE BLADE HAVING DIRT, MODERATE LATERAL SCORING AND GOUGING ON LEADING EDGE NEAR THE TIP. THE NOSE CONE WAS DENTED IN, WITH NO LATERAL MARKS NOTED, SUGGESTING PROP WAS NOT TURNING WHEN THE AIRCRAFT TILTED. THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR SHOWED THE TIRE ON THE RIM WITH THE BEAD BROKEN FREE FROM THE RIM. NO OTHER SIGNS OF DAMAGE TO MAIN GEAR WAS NOTED. EXAMINATION OF TAIL WHEEL ASSEMBLY FOR PROPER PRESSURE, TIRE WEAR, EXCESSIVE PLAY IN PARTS, LUBRICATION AND SPRING GEOMETRY REVEALED NO ISSUES.
NO DISCREPANCIES WERE NOTED IN THE MAINTENANCE RECORDS, AND IIC VERIFIED TAIL-WHEEL ENDORSEMENT AND BI-ANNUAL REVIEW CURRENCY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.