- Date
- May 7, 1997, 19:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Rogers City, MI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4056ZPiper PA-18-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 9, 1999
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970507013949A
- Case key
- 10571
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 disconnection of the tailwheel spring which resulted in the pilot's inability to maintain directional control of the airplane.
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
According to the pilot, the tailwheel began to shimmy during the landing roll and the tailwheel spring on the left side became disconnected. The airplane spun around 270 degrees and the left wing contacted the runway. The airplane traveled off the right side of the runway prior to coming to rest. The pilot stated the groundspeed was very slow when the spring disconnected which resulted in a lack of rudder authority to control the airplane.
Factual narrative
On May 7, 1997, at 1900 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-18-150, N4056Z, operated by a commercial pilot ground looped during a landing roll at the Presque Isle County Airport, Rogers City, Michigan. The 14 CFR Part 91 flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The flight originated from Alpena, Michigan, at 1700 edt.
The pilot reported that during the landing roll on runway 09 (3,017' x 60', asphalt) the tailwheel began to shimmy. He reported that the spring on the left side of the tailwheel became disconnected which resulted in a loss of steering control. He reported the groundspeed was too slow to have any rudder authority. The airplane ground looped 270 degrees to the right during which time the left wing struck the ground. The airplane traveled off the right side of the runway into the grass prior to coming to rest.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4056Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 188064
- Airframe hours
- 8,464
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Alpena Soaring Club
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 25, 1996 · 74 hours before
- Departed
- APN · Alpena, MI
- Destination
- PZQ
- Airport
- PZQ · Presque Isle County, runway 9, 3,017 × 60 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
- 39
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 556 total · 170 in this make and model · 15 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 2 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
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 N4056Z · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.