- Date
- June 13, 1992, 11:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Breezy Point, MN
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9534DPiper PA-22
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 29, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920613020319A
- Case key
- 15469
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 partial failure of the tail wheel assembly due to a fatigue fracture of an internal spring.
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 pilot lost directional control during the landing roll and ground looped to the right. Examination of the tail wheel assembly revealed a broken internal spring clip with a fatigue induced fracture emanating from several surface corrosion pits. Prior to disassembly the tail wheel unit would turn freely to the right but not to the left. Once the unit was disassembled and the broken spring clip removed, the assembled unit turned freely in both directions.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9534D
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-6450
- Airframe hours
- 2,425
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2A, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Fichuk, Peter & Dan
- Registered owner
- Fichuk, Peter & Dan
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 5, 1992 · 57 hours before
- Departed
- 54Y · Rush City, MN
- Airport
- D16 · Breezy Point, runway 18, 2,300 × 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
- 45
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 548 total · 243 in this make and model · 464 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BRD, 18 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 N9534D · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.