- Date
- August 15, 1996, 21:00 local (Aug 16, 1996, 01:00 UTC)
- Place
- Portland, IN
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2309APiper PA-22
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report February 18, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960815046459A
- Case key
- 10364
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 aircraft ground looped when the pilot lost control of the aircraft during landing.
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 reported that he flew a normal approach to touchdown. He reported that the aircraft started to ground loop when the tail wheel contacted the runway. The aircraft veered to the right and went off the runway. The left main gear collapsed and the left wing struck the ground.
Factual narrative
On August 15, 1996, at 2100 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-22, N2309A, was substantially damaged when the pilot lost control of the aircraft during landing. The private pilot and two passengers reported no injuries. The 14 CFR Part 91 flight had departed Belvidere Airport, Belvidere, Illinois, en route to Portland, Indiana. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed.
The pilot reported that he flew a normal approach to touchdown. He reported that the aircraft started to ground loop when the tail wheel contacted the runway. The aircraft veered to the right and went off the runway. The left main gear collapsed and the left wing struck the ground.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2309A
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-698
- Airframe hours
- 3,140
- Engine
- Lycoming O-290-D2, 135 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Michael J. Behrend
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 20, 1995 · 25 hours before
- Departed
- C77 · Belvidere, IL
- Destination
- PLD
- Airport
- PLD · Portland Municipal, runway 9, 4,000 × 75 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
- 46
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 600 total · 400 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 340° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FWA, 55 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.