- Date
- August 1, 2019, 13:50 local (17:50 UTC)
- Place
- Manassas, VA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3447MPiper PA 12
- 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
- 20190801013189A
- Case key
- 99995
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, during the landing roll, the airplane veered right. The pilot attempted to correct the right veer with left rudder pedal, but his foot slipped. Subsequently, the airplane ground looped. The left main landing gear collapsed, and the left wing struck the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. 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 in the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that during the landing roll, the airplane veered to the right. The pilot attempted to correct the right veer with left rudder pedal but, "My foot slipped as I attempted to correct." The airplane remained on the runway and ground-looped to the right. The left main landing gear collapsed, and the left wing struck the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3447M
- Reported as
- Piper PA 12 (No Series)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12-2065
- Built
- 1947
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A1A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · October 9, 2018
- Departed
- HEF · Washington, DC
- Destination
- HEF · Washington, DC
- Airport
- HEF · Manassas Rgnl/Harry P Davis Fi, runway 16R, 3,715 × 100 ft, asphalt
- 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
- 77
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- BasicMed, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 21, 2017
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 3,600 total · 71 in this make and model · 3,500 as pilot in command · 17 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- KHEF
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 5, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.5 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.