- Date
- July 11, 2014, 20:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Prudhoe Bay, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3971ZPiper PA 18-150
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 11, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20140711011729A
- Case key
- 89666
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 and attempted go-around, resulting in contact with terrain and a ground loop.
Findings · 1
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 pilot was landing his tailwheel-equipped airplane at an off-airport site. Upon touchdown the airplane began to veer to the right. The pilot applied full left rudder in an attempt to correct for the veer, but the airplane continued to the right. The pilot then initiated a go-around, but was still unable to maintain directional control, and aborted the go-around, which resulted in a ground loop. During the ground loop the airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and left elevator. In a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Investigator-in-Charge (IIC) on July 12, the pilot stated that the right brake may have malfunctioned, but he thought it was more probable that he had lost control. In a statement the pilot provided to the NTSB IIC on September 12 the pilot stated that an examination of the right main wheel brake assembly at the accident site revealed no deficiencies. In the recommendation section of the NTSB Accident/Incident Reporting Form 6120.1, the pilot stated that the accident may have been avoided if he had not attempted a go-around and had used more aggressive braking on the left main wheel.
Factual narrative
The pilot was landing his tailwheel-equipped airplane at an off-airport site. Upon touchdown the airplane began to veer to the right. The pilot applied full left rudder in an attempt to correct for the veer, but the airplane continued to the right. The pilot then initiated a go-around, but was still unable to maintain directional control, and aborted the go-around, which resulted in a ground loop. During the ground loop the airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and left elevator. In a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Investigator-in-Charge (IIC) on July 12, the pilot stated that the right brake may have malfunctioned, but he thought it was more probable that he had lost control. In a statement the pilot provided to the NTSB IIC on September 12 the pilot stated that an examination of the right main wheel brake assembly at the accident site revealed no deficiencies. In the recommendation section of the NTSB Accident/Incident Reporting Form 6120.1, the pilot stated that the accident may have been avoided if he had not attempted a go-around and had used more aggressive braking on the left main wheel.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3971Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA 18-150 (A150)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-7888
- Built
- 1962
- Airframe hours
- 6,827
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Orear Michael T
- Registered owner
- Orear Michael T
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 19, 2013
- Departed
- Prudhoe Bay, AK
- Destination
- Prudhoe Bay, AK
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
- 54
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 28, 2014
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 895 total · 390 in this make and model · 820 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 11,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.54 inHg
- Observed at
- PASC
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 22, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.7 MB 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 N3971Z · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.