- Date
- April 18, 2005, 18:30 local (Apr 19, 2005, 00:30 UTC)
- Place
- Gordon, NE
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9332DPiper PA-22-160
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report July 7, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration - Lincoln FSDO
- FAA report
- 20050418005149A
- Case key
- 61427
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 student pilot's failure to maintain direction control during landing. The pilot lack of familiarity with the airplane was a factor.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The airplane ground-looped during landing. The pilot reported that he wanted to fly his recently purchased airplane "because the weather was calm." The pilot stated, "Although my instructor would not approve I [chose] to fly anyway." The pilot reported that he departed on runway 04 and entered the traffic pattern for runway 11. The pilot stated that during his second landing he "ground looped" the airplane. The airplane had been converted from a tricycle landing gear into a conventional (tailwheel) airplane. The pilot reported the winds were from 110 degrees magnetic at 5 knots. Federal Aviation Administration records show that the pilot was issued a student pilot certificate on February 13, 2003. Student pilot certificates are valid for 24-calendar months. The pilot did not have an instructor endorsement for the accident airplane make and model. The pilot reported that he had 2.0 hours in the accident airplane.
Factual narrative
On April 18, 2005, at 1830 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-22-160, piloted by a student pilot, was substantially damaged when it ground-looped while landing on runway 11 (2,284 feet by 50 feet, asphalt) at the Gordon Municipal Airport, Gordon, Nebraska. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot reported no injuries. The local area flight departed around 1745.
The pilot reported that he wanted to fly his recently purchased airplane "because the weather was calm." The pilot stated, "Although my instructor would not approve I [chose] to fly anyway."
The airplane had been converted from a tricycle landing gear into a conventional (tailwheel) airplane.
The pilot reported that he departed on runway 04 and entered the traffic pattern for runway 11. The pilot stated that during his second landing he "ground looped" the airplane. The pilot reported the winds were from 110 degrees magnetic at 5 knots.
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records show that the pilot was issued his student pilot certificate on February 13, 2003. Student pilot certificates are valid for 24-calendar months. The pilot did not have an instructor endorsement for the accident airplane make and model. The pilot reported that he had 2.0 hours in the accident airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9332D
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22-160
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-6352
- Airframe hours
- 3,500
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 1, 2005
- Departed
- GRN · Gordon, NE
- Destination
- GRN · Gordon, NE
- Airport
- GRN · Gordon Municipal Airport, runway 11, 2,284 × 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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 32
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 70 total · 2 in this make and model · 20 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 30° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 9,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.63 inHg
- Observed at
- IEN, 20 nm away
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 N9332D · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.