- Date
- May 14, 2009, 18:25 local (May 15, 2009, 02:25 UTC)
- Place
- Talkeetna, AK
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1999PPiper PA-22-150
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20090514047069A
- Case key
- 73854
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 the landing roll, resulting in a ground loop and substantial damage to the airplane.
Findings · 2
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 private pilot reported he was landing his tailwheel airplane on a hard-surfaced dry runway, which required a correction for a 5-knot right crosswind. During the landing roll, the airplane’s tailwheel began to shimmy, and the pilot applied a slight amount of forward elevator to stop the shimmy. He said that the airplane then swerved to the left, and went off the left side of the runway. The airplane subsequently ground-looped to the left, and the right main landing gear collapsed, striking the right wing on the gravel-covered shoulder of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing spar. The pilot indicated that there were no pre-accident mechanical problems with the airplane, other than the tailwheel shimmy. On May 29, under the supervision of the NTSB investigator-in-charge, the tailwheel was disassembled and inspected, and no pre-accident mechanical anomalies were discovered.
Factual narrative
The private pilot reported he was landing his tailwheel airplane on a hard-surfaced dry runway, which required a correction for a 5 knot right crosswind. The airplane was operated under Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. During the landing roll, the airplane’s tailwheel began to shimmy, and the pilot applied a slight amount of forward elevator to stop the shimmy. He said that the airplane then swerved to the left, and went off the left side of the runway. The airplane subsequently ground looped to the left, and the right main landing gear collapsed, striking the right wing on the gravel-covered shoulder of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing spar. The pilot indicated that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane, other than the tailwheel shimmy. On May 29, under the supervision of the NTSB investigator-in-charge, the tailwheel was disassembled and inspected, and no preaccident mechanical anomalies were discovered.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1999P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-2710
- Airframe hours
- 2,773
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Holt Gregory J
- Registered owner
- Holt Gregory J
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 5, 2009 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- PAMR · Anchorage, AK
- Destination
- TKA · Talkeetna, AK
- Airport
- TKA · Talkeetna Airport, runway 36, 3,500 × 75 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
- Pilot
- Age
- 57
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 4, 2008
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 593 total · 160 in this make and model · 484 as pilot in command · 27 in the last 90 days · 19 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 9,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.80 inHg
- Observed at
- PATK
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 7, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 634 KB in all.
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 N1999P · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.