- Date
- April 3, 2010, 19:20 local (Apr 4, 2010, 00:20 UTC)
- Place
- Brook Park, MN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7884DPiper PA-18-150
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 12, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration - Minneapolis FSDO
- FAA report
- 20100403030929A
- Case key
- 75668
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 rollout in variable wind conditions.
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 after a normal touchdown the airplane drifted toward the right side of the runway. He attempted to correct for the right drift with a left rudder input, but the wind suddenly changed direction and the airplane veered to the left. He applied full brakes to stop the airplane from leaving the runway, but in the process the airplane nosed over. The vertical stabilizer, rudder, both wings, and cabin structure were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. About 4 minutes before the accident, a local weather station reported that the prevailing wind was out of the southwest at 4 knots. About 16 minutes after the accident, the same weather station reported that the wind speed had increased to 8 knots, with 14 knot wind gusts.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that after a normal touchdown the airplane drifted toward the right side of the runway. He attempted to correct for the right drift with a left rudder input, but the wind suddenly changed direction and airplane veered to the left. He applied full brakes to stop the airplane from leaving the runway, but in the process the airplane nosed over. The vertical stabilizer, rudder, both wings, and cabin structure were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. About 4 minutes before the accident, a local weather station reported that the prevailing wind was out of the southwest at 4 knots. About 16 minutes after the accident, the same weather station reported that the wind speed had increased to 8 knots, with 14 knot wind gusts.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7884D
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-6044
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 11, 2009
- Departed
- PVT · Brook Park, MN
- Destination
- PVT · Brook Park, MN
- Airport
- PVT · Private Airstrip, runway 35, 1,300 × 75 ft, grass/turf
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
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 4, 2009
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 838 total · 249 in this make and model · 710 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 9,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.70 inHg
- Observed at
- KJMR, 10 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 25, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports.
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 N7884D · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.