- Date
- January 3, 2019, 15:25 local (22:25 UTC)
- Place
- Longmont, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N89018Piper PA 18-135
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 26, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190103000109A
- Case key
- 98921
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 landing.
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 reported that it was his first flight as pilot-in-command of the tundra tire- and tailwheel-equipped airplane. While on the fourth three-point landing to the concrete runway, after the tailwheel touched down, the airplane veered left. He corrected with right rudder and attempted to return to the runway centerline and then applied left rudder, but the airplane continued to veer right. Subsequently, the airplane ground looped to the right, and the left wing struck the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. The owner of the airplane, who was seated in the rear seat, reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that, during his first flight as pilot-in-command of the tundra tire, tailwheel-equipped airplane, while on the 4th three-point landing to the concrete runway, after the tailwheel touched down, the airplane veered left. He corrected with right rudder and attempted to return to the runway centerline, then applied left rudder, but the airplane continued to veer right. Subsequently, the airplane ground looped to the right and the left wing struck the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. The owner of the airplane, who was seated in the rear seat, reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N89018
- Reported as
- Piper PA 18-135
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-3583
- Built
- 1954
- Airframe hours
- 4,680.7
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 1, 2018
- Departed
- LMO · Longmont, CO
- Destination
- LMO · Longmont, CO
- Airport
- LMO · Vance Brand, runway 29, 4,799 × 75 ft, concrete
- Equipment
- None
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
- 22
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 14, 2018
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 0.5 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 19 °F, dew point 12 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Observed at
- KLMO
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 9, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.3 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.