- Date
- September 13, 2000, 13:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Dillingham, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8DGPiper PA-22
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 10, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Case key
- 50282
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
A malfunctioning main landing gear brake, which precipitated a ground-loop.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The private pilot was landing a tailwheel-equipped airplane on a gravel airstrip. Shortly after touchdown, the airplane began to drift to the left of centerline. The pilot said he applied brakes and corrective action, however, the left brake locked-up and the airplane subsequently ground-looped.
Factual narrative
On September 13, 2000, about 1330 Alaska daylight time, a tailwheel-equipped Piper PA-22, N8DG, sustained substantial damage while landing at a private airstrip, about 4 miles west of Dillingham, Alaska, at 59 degrees, 3 minutes north latitude, 158 degrees, 34 minutes west longitude. The airplane is owned and operated by the pilot, and was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal/pleasure flight under the provisions of Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The private pilot, and the one passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The flight originated from the same airstrip.
During a telephone conversation with the NTSB investigator-in-charge (IIC) on September 13, 2000, the pilot reported that the airplane touched down in a three-point attitude on the eastbound gravel runway. He stated that shortly after touchdown the airplane began to drift to the left of centerline. The pilot applied brakes and corrective action, however, the airplane's left brake locked-up, and the airplane subsequently ground-looped.
The pilot reported that during the airplane's recovery, the left brake was still engaged, and the wheel assembly did not rotate.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing lift-strut, right wing, and elevator.
At 1354, Dillingham winds were from 10 degrees at 12 knots, gusting to 20 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8DG
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 27-7308
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Manual Brito
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Airport
- Shannon'S Airstrip
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 38
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 460 total · 371 in this make and model · 70 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 12 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 14,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DLG, 3 nm away