- Date
- August 15, 2009, 14:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Plainwell, MI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N4380HPiper PA-15
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 15, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA-Grand Rapids FSDO
- FAA report
- 20090815048799A
- Case key
- 74612
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 loss of control on takeoff for undetermined reasons.
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 pilot reported that he began the takeoff roll in the tailwheel-equipped airplane with a left quartering headwind. He stated that during the takeoff roll a wind gust caused the airplane to swerve. He attempted to abort the takeoff and the airplane ground-looped. During the event, the right main landing gear collapsed and the wing tip struck the runway, damaging the wing structure. A weather reporting station located 18 nautical miles south of the accident site recorded the wind 7 minutes before the accident as being from 190 degrees at 11 knots, gusting to 18 knots. Fifty-three minutes after the accident time the same weather station recorded the wind speed as 7 knots gusting to 14 knots and direction as variable between 130 degrees and 200 degrees. Examination of the airplane after the accident revealed a failure of the left steering spring chain link. It could not be determined if the chain link failure occurred prior to or during the accident sequence.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he began the takeoff roll in the tailwheel airplane with a left quartering headwind. He stated that during the takeoff roll a wind gust caused the airplane to swerve. He attempted to abort the takeoff and the airplane ground looped. During the event, the right main landing gear collapsed and the wingtip struck the runway damaging the wing structure. A weather reporting station located 18 nautical miles south of the accident site recorded the wind 7 minutes before the reported accident time as 190 degrees at 11 knots gusting to 18 knots. Fifty-three minutes after the accident time the same weather station recorded the wind speed as 7 knots gusting to 14 knots and direction as variable between 130 degrees and 200 degrees. Examination of the airplane after the accident revealed a failure of the left steering spring chain link. It could not be determined if the chain link failure occurred prior to or during the accident sequence.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4380H
- Reported as
- Piper PA-15
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15-165
- Airframe hours
- 1,472
- Engine
- Continental C85-12, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 10, 2008
- Departed
- 61D · Plainwell, MI
- Destination
- 61D · Plainwell, MI
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- 61D · Plainwell Municipal Airport, runway 27, 2,650 × 50 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
- 62
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 16, 2007
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,556 total · 114 in this make and model · 21 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 7 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.11 inHg
- Observed at
- AZO, 15 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 21, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.2 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.