- Date
- September 15, 1990, 16:03 local (21:03 UTC)
- Place
- Springdale, AR
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N86483Piper PA-22-160
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 9, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900915039889A
- Case key
- 17991
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
Pilot's loss of control of the aircraft, during landing, due to mechanical malfunction of the tailwheel assembly.
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 private pilot (flying his own aircraft) made a normal landing under calm wind conditions. On touchdown, the aircraft suddenly swerved and the pilot was unable to regain control before the aircraft ground looped, damaging the right wing and collapsing the landing gear. Subsequent examination of the tailwheel assembly revealed the centering detent had failed due to excessive wear.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N86483
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22-160
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-5777
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2A, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- James R. Younkin
- Departed
- H73 · Tahlequah, OK
- Airport
- ASG · Springdale Municipal, runway 18, 5,302 × 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
- 61
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 6,000 total · 250 in this make and model · 30 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 91 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FYU
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.