- Date
- May 27, 2008, 22:30 local (May 28, 2008, 06:30 UTC)
- Place
- Fairbanks, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N57787Piper PA-18-150
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 30, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Fairbanks, FSDO-01
- FAA report
- 20080527841009A
- Case key
- 68288
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
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing. Contributing to the accident was a gust of wind.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The solo student pilot lost directional control of the airplane during landing, and the airplane ground-looped. The student pilot reported that during landing, a gust of wind picked up the right wing, and the left wing struck the runway. A certificated aircraft mechanic who inspected the airplane, said the left wing's par was bent during the ground-loop. The pilot indicated that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane.
Factual narrative
The solo student pilot lost directional control of the airplane during landing, and the airplane ground-looped. The student pilot reported that during landing, a gust of wind picked up the right wing, and the left wing struck the runway. A certificated aircraft mechanic who inspected the airplane, said the left wing's par was bent during the ground-loop. The pilot indicated that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N57787
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-7709131
- Airframe hours
- 1,653
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- James Fogarty
- Registered owner
- James Fogarty
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- PAFA · Fairbanks, AK
- Airport
- PAFA · Fairbanks International, runway 19, 11,800 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 51
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 50 total · 50 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 7,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.15 inHg
- Observed at
- PAFA
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N57787 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.