- Date
- April 20, 2003, 14:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Kemmerer, WY
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N40520Piper PA-18-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 25, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSFO
- FAA report
- 20030420005579A
- Case key
- 56852
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 pilot's failure to maintain directional control and his inadequate compensation for wind during the landing roll which resulted in a ground loop/swerve and impact with terrain. Contributing factors include the wind gust and the ditch.
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 stated that while en route, she received ASOS weather updates. Approximately 30 minutes before landing, reported winds at the airport were 160 degrees at 6 knots. Approximately 10 nautical miles out, an update indicated that the winds were 120 degrees at 3 knots. During the landing roll on runway 16, the pilot encountered a gust of wind. The pilot attempted to regain control, but the airplane swerved to the right and departed the right side of the runway. The airplane's left main landing gear struck a ditch and the left wing tip struck the ground.
Factual narrative
On April 20, 2003, approximately 1430 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-18-150, N40520, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain during landing roll at Kemmerer Municipal Airport (EMM), Kemmerer, Wyoming. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant on board, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. No flight plan had been filed for this ferry flight being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated at Rawlings, Wyoming, approximately 1115.
The pilot stated that while en route to Kemmerer, she received weather updates from an automated surface observing system (ASOS). Approximately 30 minutes before landing, an update indicated that the winds at EMM were from 160 degrees at 6 knots. Approximately 10 nautical miles from EMM, an update indicated that the winds were from 120 degrees at 3 knots. During the landing roll on runway 16, she encountered a gust of wind. She attempted to regain control, but the airplane swerved to the right and departed the right side of the runway. The airplane's left main landing gear struck a ditch and the left wing tip struck the ground. The impact with the ground damaged the outboard 4 feet of the left wing, and buckled the aft strut on the left wing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N40520
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-75-009121
- Airframe hours
- 1,657
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Claudia C. Hase
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 1, 2002 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- RWL · Rawlings, WY
- Destination
- BOI · Boise, ID
- Airport
- EMM · Kemmerer Municipal, runway 16, 8,200 × 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
- 49
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- June 6, 2001
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,018 total · 170 in this make and model · 921 as pilot in command · 85 in the last 90 days · 57 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F
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 N40520 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.