# Incident 20240310001639I: Piper PA-20, Missoula, MT, March 10, 2024 - Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: March 10, 2024, 13:40 local time - Place: Missoula, MT - Airport: Missoula - Damage: Minor damage - Phase of flight: Taxi - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 46.8721° N, 113.9940° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Missoula, MT, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=46.8721&lon=-113.9940&mi=10 - Aircraft: N8526Z, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N8526Z) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-20 (registry code 7102002, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-20) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA-20 - Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot - Pilot flight hours: 2,614 total, 27 in this make and model, 110 in the last 90 days - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20240310001639I ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. IAW: 8900.1VOL 7 CH 4 SEC 2 DESCRIPTION OF THE DEVIATION: AIRCRAFT GROUND LOOPED DURING HIGH-SPEED TAXI PRACTICE – NOT INTENDED FOR FLIGHT ON MARCH, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A PIPER PA-20, A LOW TINE RATED PILOT WAS PRACTICING HIGH SPEED TAXI, TAIL HIGH TO TAIL LOW, WITH AN INSTRUCTOR AT THE MISSOULA (KMSO) AIRPORT, WORKING WITH AN INSTRUCTOR FOR A TAIL WHEEL ENDORSEMENT IN ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^AIRPLANE, WHEN THE AIRCRAFT GROUND LOOPED DAMAGING THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR AND THE LEFT WING TIP FARING WITH NO DAMAGE TO THE STRUCTURAL PART OF THE WING. CAUSUAL AND/OR CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: THE WINDS WERE CALM AT THE TIME. THE INSTRUCTOR WAS PRACTICING HIGH SPEED TAXI WITH THE STUDENT AT THE TIME. THE STUDENT WAS TRANSITIONING FROM RUDDER STEERING TO TAIL WHEEL STEERING WITH POWER TO IDLE AND ELEVATOR FULL FWD. AS THE STUDENT INITIATED THE PULL WITH THE CONTROL WHEEL TO GET TO TAIL WHEEL STEERING, THE INSTRUCTOR FAILED TO REALIZE THAT THE ELEVATOR WAS NOT FULL AFT. THEREFORE, THEY ENTERED AN AREA OF AERODYNAMICS WHERE THE RUDDER AUTHORITY WAS LOST AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT ON THE TAIL WHEEL FOR DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. THERE AIRCRAFT STARTED VEERING LEFT AND THE INSTRUCTOR GAVE THE STUDENT TIME TO CORRECT. THE INSTRUCTOR THEN TOOK CONTROL AN APPLIED RIGHT RUDDER AND BRAKE TOO LATE TO CORRECT THE DEVIATION AND THE AIRCRAFT GROUND LOOPED. THE INSTRUCTOR HAS MANY HOURS TEACHING IN A CITABRIA AND IS MOST FAMILIAR WITH THE CONTROL STICK IN THAT AIRCRAFT VS THE PA-20, WHICH HAS A CONTROL WHEEL. THE FAMILIARITY WITH HOW THE CONTROLS LOOK WHEN FULL AFT ARE VERY DIFFERENT THEREFORE, FAILURE TO NOTICE THAT THE CONTROL WHEEL WAS NOT FULL AFT WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. NO ATC ACTIONS CONTRIBUTORY TO THE EVENT. N/A NO RCOMMENDATIONS FOR SYSTEMIC CORRECTIVE ACTION. N/A ACTION TAKE TO CORRECT PRBOLEMAND PRVENT REOCCURANCE: COMPLIANCE ACTION- COUSELING IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION’S COMPLIANCE PHILOSOPHY, THE PILOT HAS BEEN COUNSELED ON AERONAUTICAL DECISION MAKING, SITUATIONAL AWARENESS, INFORMATION PROCESSING, AND INSTRUCTIONAL OVERSITE. SAS RECORD #: NM05202401020 RCA: B1 ## Other reports on N8526Z (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 20010804021349I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010804021349I), Aug 4, 2001: Piper PA20 (N8526Z), Rapid City, SD, Minor damage. (-23) On August 4, 2001, at approximately 7:05 pm MDT, a Piper m/n PA-20-135, N8526Z, owned by rodney c. riggs, ground looped on landing on runway 14 at the… 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.