- Date
- June 21, 2019, 15:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Imnaha, OR
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N753ATPiper L21
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 29, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- FAA report
- 20190621007689A
- Case key
- 99699
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 while taking off from a soft, rough field, which resulted in a ground-loop.
Findings · 4
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, during takeoff from a soft field, the airplane veered left then began to bounce as it went over soft and rough ground. He tried to steer the airplane back toward the runway and abort the takeoff, but the airplane continued to bounce sideways, which resulted in a ground-loop. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left 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 takeoff from a soft field, the airplane veered left then began to bounce as it went over soft and rough ground. He tried to steer the airplane back towards the runway and abort the takeoff, but the airplane continued to bounce sideways which resulted in a ground loop. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left elevator. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N753AT
- Reported as
- Piper L21 (B)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-3377
- Built
- 1954
- Airframe hours
- 487.4
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-C2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- L-Bird LLC
- Registered owner
- L-Bird LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 26, 2019
- Departed
- 1DA · Lucile, ID
- Destination
- OR9 · Imnaha, OR
- Airport
- OR9 · Lord Flat, runway 01, 1,728 × 15 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Satellite tracking device, Electronic multifunction display, 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
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 20, 2019
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 5,694 total · 80 in this make and model · 5,694 as pilot in command · 91 in the last 90 days · 49 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 2 statute miles
- Observed at
- KGIC, 27 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 5, 2020, 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.