- Date
- July 28, 2018, 20:00 local (Jul 29, 2018, 02:00 UTC)
- Place
- Edgewood, NM
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4159MPiper PA 12
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 18, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180728018249A
- Case key
- 98241
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 during the landing roll.
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-equipped airplane reported that, during the landing roll, the airplane ground looped to the left. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and right elevator. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during the landing roll, the airplane ground looped to the left. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and right elevator. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4159M
- Reported as
- Piper PA 12 (No Series)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12-3058
- Built
- 1947
- Airframe hours
- 4,698
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 26, 2018
- Departed
- LVS · Las Vegas, NM
- Destination
- 1N1 · Edgewood, NM
- Airport
- 1N1 · Sandia Airpark Estates East, runway 27, 4,830 × 30 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, ADS-B
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
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 26, 2017
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,730 total · 248 in this make and model · 1,616 as pilot in command · 31 in the last 90 days · 28 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.18 inHg
- Observed at
- KABQ, 23 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 4, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.7 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 N4159M · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.