- Date
- April 24, 2010, 13:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Hoensdale, PA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N170JHPiper PA-22-135
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 22, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20100424032499A
- Case key
- 75869
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 improper final approach, resulting in a bounced landing and ground loop. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of experience in tailwheel airplanes.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot of the tailwheel airplane stated, "my touchdown was a bounce, followed by a smaller bounce. The airplane started veering left and off the runway. I applied right rudder and added power to try to straighten out when the tail came out left. I cut the power as the ground loop occurred. The airplane came to rest 180 degrees, facing south." Damage to the airplane consisted of substantial damage to the left wing spar and left elevator. The pilot added that the accident could have been prevented by making the decision to acquire more time with landings in this type of airplane prior to solo, and prior to operating on a hard surface. The pilot reported 5 hours of total experience in the make and model accident airplane.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane stated, "my touchdown was a bounce, followed by a smaller bounce. The airplane started veering left and off the runway. I applied right rudder and added power to try to straighten out when the tail came out left. I cut the power as the ground loop occurred. The airplane came to rest 180 degrees, facing south." Damage to the airplane consisted of substantial damage to the left wing spar and left elevator. The pilot added that the accident could have been prevented by making the decision to acquire more time with landings in this type of airplane prior to solo, and prior to operating on a hard surface. The pilot reported 5 hours of total experience in the make and model accident airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N170JH
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22-135
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-1645
- Airframe hours
- 3,366
- Engine
- Lycoming O-290 SERIES, 140 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Vincent Peter Cianfichi, Jr.
- Registered owner
- Vincent Peter Cianfichi, Jr.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 1, 2009 · 8 hours before
- Departed
- 76N · Tunkhannock, PA
- Destination
- N30 · Hoensdale, PA
- Airport
- N30 · Cherry Ridge Airport, runway 36, 2,420 × 50 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
- 41
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 30, 2009
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 529 total · 5 in this make and model · 467 as pilot in command · 23 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Observed at
- AVP, 23 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 10, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.1 MB in all.
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 N170JH · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.