- Date
- September 27, 2019, 13:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Williams, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N3985MPiper PA 12
- Defining event
- Taxi: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 17, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190927024099A
- Case key
- 100398
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 over application of power during recovery from a runway excursion, which resulted in a ground loop and nose over.
Findings · 3
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, after landing on a gravel road, he looked to the right and unintentionally steered the airplane to the right into a small ditch. He applied power to force the airplane out of the ditch back onto the road, however, the right main landing gear "locked up due to the weeds wrapping around it". The airplane ground looped and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and empennage. 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, after landing on a gravel road, he looked to the right and unintentionally steered the airplane to the right into a small ditch. He applied power to force the airplane out of the ditch back onto the road, however, the right main landing gear "locked up due to the weeds wrapping around it". The airplane ground looped and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3985M
- Reported as
- Piper PA 12 (No Series)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12-2865
- Built
- 1947
- Airframe hours
- 1,128.9
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 25, 2018
- Departed
- O08 · Colusa, CA
- Destination
- WLW · Willows, CA
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS
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
- 56
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 5, 2019
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,291 total · 355 in this make and model · 1,080 as pilot in command · 19 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,100 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.86 inHg
- Observed at
- KMYV, 25 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 5, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.4 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.