- Date
- May 31, 2019, 10:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Sparta, IL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N530AKPiper PA18
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 13, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190531011179A
- Case key
- 99524
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, which resulted in a ground-loop.
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, while landing on an asphalt runway, the airplane touched down and then veered right. The pilot applied left rudder and left brake but overcorrected, and the airplane continued veering left. Subsequently, the airplane ground looped to the left, the right main landing gear collapsed, and the right wing struck the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot in the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that the airplane was equipped with 26-inch tundra tires, and that he performed a landing on the asphalt runway. The airplane touched down and the airplane veered to the right. The pilot applied left rudder and left brake but overcorrected the airplane's direction to the left. Subsequently, the airplane ground-looped to the left, and the right main landing gear collapsed, and the right wing struck the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N530AK
- Reported as
- Piper PA18 (150)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-4385
- Built
- 1956
- Airframe hours
- 3,187
- Engine
- Amateur/Experimental Unknown, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 30, 2019
- Departed
- SAR · Sparta, IL
- Destination
- SAR · Sparta, IL
- Airport
- SAR · Sparta Community-Hunter Field, runway 36, 4,002 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, ADS-B, Onboard weather
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
- 62
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 24, 2019
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 2,034 total · 10 in this make and model · 1,919 as pilot in command · 95 in the last 90 days · 27 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- KSAR
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 4, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.9 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 N530AK · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.