- Date
- March 29, 2001, 15:56 local (22:56 UTC)
- Place
- Grand Junction, CO
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N9464DPiper PA-18-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 30, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20010329005589A
- Case key
- 51983
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
Failure by the pilot to maintain directional control during takeoff roll. A factor was a crosswind.
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
During takeoff roll, with a direct crosswind of 13 knots, the 70 hour student pilot lost control of the aircraft and it exited the side of the runway and ground looped. The right wing and right main landing gear separated from the aircraft and the pilot sustained minor injuries. .
Factual narrative
On March 29, 2001, at 1556 mountain standard time, a Piper PA-18-150, N9464D, sustained substantial damage when it ground looped and exited the side of the runway during takeoff roll at Walker Field, Grand Junction, Colorado. The student pilot and sole occupant received minor injuries. The flight was a local area student solo instructional flight operating under Title 14 CFR Part 91 and no flight plan was filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed.
According to information provided by air traffic control, the takeoff was being made on runway 11. The observed wind was from 020 degrees magnetic heading at 13 knots, which is a direct crosswind. (No crosswind limit is established for aircraft certificated under 14 CFR Part 23.)
When the aircraft exited the side of the runway, collision with rough terrain caused the right wing and right main landing gear to separate from the aircraft.
A review of the pilot's flight time and medical records revealed he had a total of 70 hours of flight experience all in the accident aircraft make and model, and he was denied a medical following his examination on July 7, 1999.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9464D
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-6707
- Airframe hours
- 630
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Charles L. Baker
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 19, 2001 · 25 hours before
- Departed
- GJT · Grand Junction, CO
- Airport
- GJT · Grand Junction, runway 11, 10,501 × 150 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
- 55
- Injuries
- Minor
- Medical
- Class 3, Invalid Medical for flight
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 70 total · 70 in this make and model · 40 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.81 inHg
- Observed at
- GJT, 1 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.