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20230129003569A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-22 · Sandpoint, ID · January 29, 2023

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
January 29, 2023 · 15:00 local
Place
Sandpoint, ID
Airport
Sandpoint
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Departure Roll
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N1791P
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR23LA106
Reported as
Piper PA-22
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
300 total34 in this make and model5 in the last 90 days
N1791PRegistered now · Piper PA-22S/N 22-2564 · Built 1954Airframe modelPiper PA-22Engine modelLycoming 0-320 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.

During a touch and go maneuver the pilot momentarily lost directional control while lowering the flap handle to retract the flaps. After retracting the flaps the pilot observed the airplane swerving left towards the left runway edge. The pilot determined it safer to continue the takeoff rather than potentially flipping the airplane during an aborted takeoff. The airplane was heading about 60 degrees left of runway centerline as it departed. During the initial climb out the left main landing gear struck a snow berm that was located about five feet beyond the left runway edge. The pilot remained in the traffic pattern and evaluated the airplane's condition. The pilot observed that the left main landing gear was misaligned and no other damage. During the landing the pilot kept the left main landing gear off the runway as long as able. The left main landing gear collapsed when it contacted the runway, causing the left wingtip and propeller to contact the runway. The airplane came to a stop on the runway and the occupants exited without assistance.

As the FAA filed it

DURING A TOUCH AND GO MANEUVER THE PILOT MOMENTARILY LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WHILE LOWERING THE FLAP HANDLE TO RETRACT THE FLAPS. AFTER RETRACTING THE FLAPS THE PILOT OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE SWERVING LEFT TOWARDS THE LEFT RUNWAY EDGE. THE PILOT DETERMINED IT SAFER TO CONTINUE THE TAKEOFF RATHER THAN POTENTIALLY FLIPPING THE AIRPLANE DURING AN ABORTED TAKEOFF. THE AIRPLANE WAS HEADING ABOUT 60 DEGREES LEFT OF RUNWAY CENTERLINE AS IT DEPARTED. DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB OUT THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR STRUCK A SNOW BERM THAT WAS LOCATED ABOUT FIVE FEET BEYOND THE LEFT RUNWAY EDGE. THE PILOT REMAINED IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN AND EVALUATED THE AIRPLANE'S CONDITION. THE PILOT OBSERVED THAT THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR WAS MISALIGNED AND NO OTHER DAMAGE. DURING THE LANDING THE PILOT KEPT THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR OFF THE RUNWAY AS LONG AS ABLE. THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED WHEN IT CONTACTED THE RUNWAY, CAUSING THE LEFT WINGTIP AND PROPELLER TO CONTACT THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO A STOP ON THE RUNWAY AND THE OCCUPANTS EXITED WITHOUT ASSISTANCE.

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 WPR23LA106Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportSandpoint, IDThe pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during landing and subsequent failure to maintain clearance from a snow berm during a go around.Jan 30, 2023 · Substantial damage